InterMat Staff

A funny thing happened when the UFC's main event didn't turn out as planned. When Chris Weidman's middleweight title defense against Lyoto Machida was postponed, Renan Barao's bantamweight championship tilt with T.J. Dillashaw became the headline bout. Thanks to that drop in Q rating, the rest of the main card is about as stacked as you're likely to see these days. Richard and John make their picks for the main card, including fight of the night candidate Robbie Lawler against Jake Ellenberger and a 205-pound clash between top wrestlers turned MMA contenders Daniel Cormier and Dan Henderson. Also don't sleep on Takeya Mizugaki vs. Francisco Rivera. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Spencer Lee finished seventh at the 2013 FILA Cadet World Championships (Photo/Bill Rudick) One of the traditional major events of the wrestling spring is this coming weekend, as the FILA Cadet and University National Championships will be held this coming weekend on the campus of the University of Akron. The Greco-Roman competition will be held on Friday in each level, with freestyle competition occurring on Saturday and Sunday. Within the FILA Cadet competition, four of the five wrestlers ranked tops in the country for their scholastic grade category will be in the freestyle field. Cade Olivas (California), the nation's top junior high wrestler, is slated to compete at 46 kilos; Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 1 among Class of 2017 wrestlers, is slated to compete at 50 kilos; Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), tops among Class of 2016 wrestlers, is registered in the 76-kilo weight class; while Lance Benick (Totino Grace, Minn.), ranked first in the Class of 2015, is registered at 85 kilos. Lee and Benick are two of the three returning FILA Cadet freestyle World Team members competing in the freestyle competition on Saturday and Sunday. They are joined by Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.), who will be competing along with Lee in the 50-kilo weight class. Approximately 40 wrestlers ranked currently in their grade level are slated to compete in the FILA Cadet freestyle competition, as based on pre-registration, which closed late on Tuesday evening. There are additional wrestlers in the field that are projected to be in the rankings when some grade levels expand in late June, along with others in consideration for a ranking. Given the composition of the field, and the stakes of the competition, it is a major evaluative event. The following represents a weight-by-weight analysis of the FILA Cadet freestyle field, as based on participants pre-registered for the tournament through late Tuesday evening (pre-registration is closed). 42 kilos: Leading the way in this weight class is Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania), who is ranked No. 3 overall among junior high wrestlers. He was a Cadet National freestyle champion last summer at 88 pounds, and is a two-time PJW champion in folkstyle. Others to watch in this weight class include Zach Murillo (Southington, Conn.), who placed fifth in high school New England's this season at 106 pounds and was runner-up in Cadet freestyle at 88 pounds last summer; incoming ninth grader Logan Macri (Pennsylvania), who was a PJW champion in folkstyle this spring; along with Cody Phippen (Kansas), who was a Cadet folkstyle champion at 94 pounds this spring. 46 kilos: Cade Olivas (California) is ranked as the nation's top junior high wrestler, and was the FILA Cadet World Team member in Greco-Roman at 42 kilos last year. He has won almost everything under the sun prior to entering high school this fall, including Cadet National folkstyle titles the last two years. Others to watch include Cadet folkstyle runner-up Brandon Courtney (Desert Edge, Ariz.); returning FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio); Junior folkstyle runner-up Louie Hayes (Carl Sandbury, Ill.), who is also a two-time FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; and National Prep runner-up Zach Sherman (Blair Academy, N.J.) 50 kilos: Even with many other excellent wrestlers present, there is but one clear favorite, and that is the returning FILA Cadet freestyle World Team member in this weight class. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) had a superlative 2013-14 scholastic season, and is a legitimate contender to medal and/or win at FILA Cadet Worlds later this summer, something he fell short of doing last year. Others in this weight class include fellow returning World Team member Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.), who represented the United States at 42 kilos last summer and is ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2017; Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, Okla.), runner-up to Gomez in this event last year, but beat Gomez for a Cadet freestyle title in Fargo; Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), who won Cadet folkstyle in early April and is ranked No. 18 overall in the Class of 2017; Brent Jones (Shakopee, Minn.), who was third place in both styles at both FILA Cadets and Cadet Nationals last year; Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.), a Junior folkstyle champion this spring and Cadet Nationals freestyle champion last summer; Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.), an All-American at both the Cadet Nationals and FILA Cadets in freestyle; along with National Prep champion Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) 54 kilos: Two Cadet National freestyle champions from last summer anchor the field in this weight class, Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) and Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas). Fix is ranked No. 5 overall in the Class of 2017, was a Cadet Triple Crown winner last year, and was runner-up in this event last spring at 50 kilos; while Mueller is ranked No. 21 in the Class of 2016, and finished third in this event last spring at 50 kilos. Others to watch in this weight class include Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), who is ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2017; state champion Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), who was a Cadet Nationals runner-up last summer in Greco-Roman; and Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.), a 2013 state champion who won the Preseason Nationals this fall. 58 kilos: Six wrestlers ranked in their respective grade level lead the way at this weight class. Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2017, was a runner-up at FILA Cadets last year in this weight class, and finished third in Cadet freestyle last summer; Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) is ranked No. 19 in the Class of 2016, won the Greco-Roman portion of this tournament last year, and was a Cadet National freestyle champion last summer; Corey Shie (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) is ranked No. 22 in the Class of 2017, was a Cadet freestyle All-American last summer, and a Cadet folkstyle champion this spring; Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa), ranked No. 25 in the Class of 2016, joins LaMont as being a Cadet National freestyle champion last summer; Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2016, was a runner-up in this event two years ago, and was a Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer; while Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), ranked No. 35 in the Class of 2016, is a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American. Others to watch in this weight class include two-time Fargo freestyle champion Hunter Marko (Amery, Wis.), returning Cadet National double finalist Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Richard Montoya (Robertson, N.M.), along with Cadet freestyle All-Americans Andrew Mehrholz (Deerfield, Ill.) and Matthew Noble (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) 63 kilos: Three grade level ranked wrestlers, along with two notable rising seniors, are the anchor figures in this weight class. Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.), a state champion in scholastic competition as a freshman, leads the field as the nation's No. 8 ranked Class of 2017 wrestlers. Also grade-level ranked are Cadet freestyle runner-up Austin Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), who is ranked No. 43 in the Class of 2016; and Cadet folkstyle champion Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.), who is ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2017. The two very notable rising seniors are Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.), a runner-up at the Flo Nationals and Cadet freestyle All-American last year; and Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.), a Cadet Greco-Roman national champion two years ago. Others meriting attention in this weight class include two-time state champions Cole Martin (Lancaster, Wis.) and Wyatt Sheets (Stilwell, Okla.), state champions Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio) and Jaron Chavez (Centennial, Idaho), as well as NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio). 69 kilos: This weight shapes up to be a showdown between two of the nation's elite wrestlers, Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) and Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.). Valencia is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2015, and is a two-time Cadet National freestyle champion. This spring he cleared a relative gauntlet to win the Junior folkstyle national title at 152 pounds. However, last year in this tournament, he suffered a major disappointment in failing to place at 58 kilos. Manville is ranked No. 2 nationally in the Class of 2017 and very accomplished in his own right, sweeping Cadet National titles in Fargo last summer after making the final in both styles the year before (Greco-Roman champion). He was also a FILA Cadet freestyle All-American in 2012 and a FILA Junior Greco-Roman champion this spring, among a litany of other national and international accomplishments across the three styles. Two other grade-level ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.) and Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa). Young is ranked No. 16 in the Class of 2016, while Steiert is No. 42 in the Class of 2015. Others to watch in this weight class include Cadet National freestyle runner-up Matt Ferraro (Marmion Academy, Ill.); Cadet National freestyle All-Americans Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.), Andrew Doak (Blairsville, Pa.), Jake Adcock (Pope, Ga.), and Jakob Restrepo (Sachem North, N.Y.); along with Cadet Greco-Roman runners-up Joey Gunther (Libertyville, Ill.) and Logan Kass (Benilde St. Margaret's, Minn.) 76 kilos: Two Cadet Triple Crown winners from last year, and a third wrestler who was a Cadet Nationals double champion in Fargo, make this an absolutely loaded weight class. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) is ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2016, but has yet to win this tournament despite being arguably the favorite each of the previous two years. However, on each occasion, Bo Nickal served as his kryptonite. Challenging Hall this year is fellow Cadet Triple Crown winner Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2016. Reenan also joins Hall as a FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up from last year. The third Cadet Nationals double champion in this field is Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.), who is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2016. Four other grade level ranked wrestlers compliment these three stars in this stacked weight bracket. Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) is ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2016, finished as runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer before getting injured during freestyle, and is also now a two-time Cadet folkstyle national champion; Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.) is ranked No. 19 in the Class of 2015, was runner-up at both the Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals this scholastic season, and earned All-American honors in both styles at this event last year; Zane Black (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) is ranked No. 19 in the Class of 2017 after winning a NHSCA Freshman Nationals title; while Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) is No. 23 in the Class of 2017, and was a Cadet folkstyle national champion this year. 85 kilos: Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.) is the nation's top Class of 2015 wrestler at present and seeks to make a second consecutive FILA Cadet freestyle World Team. This time, he'll do so down one weight class from last year and have to navigate through five other grade level ranked wrestlers to get the spot. Those include Christian Dietrich (Greene, N.Y.), a Flo Nationals runner-up who is ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2016; two-time Cadet Greco-Roman champion Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.), who is No. 15 in the Class of 2016 and also a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American, including a runner-up finish last summer; Tyler Johnson (Lockport, Ill.), a Cadet freestyle national champion last year, who is ranked No. 37 in the Class of 2015; Cadet National freestyle runner-up Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio), a returning All-American in this event and ranked No. 41 in the Class of 2015; along with Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.), who is ranked No. 48 in the Class of 2016.. Others meriting attention in this field include Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.), a National Prep runner-up and Cadet National double All-American last summer; Emilio Fowler (Gardner Edgerton, Kans.), a fellow Cadet National double All-American; and state runner-up Christian Brunner (Dundee Crown, Ill.) 100 kilos: Five of the nation's top 50 wrestlers from the Class of 2016 anchor this field, led by Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.). The two-time state runner-up is ranked No. 5 in this class, won the Super 32 Challenge this fall, and finished as a Cadet National double All-American last summer losing only to Benick in each style. Others include No. 17 Matt Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.), third in Cadet freestyle last summer and a NHSCA grade-level national champion each of the last two years; No. 32 Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa), an All-American in Cadet freestyle last summer and an undefeated state champion this scholastic season; No. 44 Lucas Warren (Marmion Academy, Ill.); and No. 47 Gannon Gremmel (Hempstead Dubuque, Iowa), who won Preseason Nationals this fall over Andersen in the final. 125 kilos: Leading the way in this weight class is Jake Marnin (Southeast Polk, Iowa), a Cadet Triple Crown winner last summer, who is ranked No. 48 in the Class of 2015. Others to watch include FloNationals champion Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio), who is ranked No. 14 in the Class of 2017; and Cadet National freestyle runner-up Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.), who placed third at the Flo Nationals this spring. This weight class is not contested at the FILA Cadet World Championships.

Derek DelPorto (Photo/Eastern Michigan University Sports Information) YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Heather Lyke announced today, May 20, that Derek DelPorto has resigned from the position of head coach of the wrestling team. DelPorto served as the head coach of the squad for eight seasons. "I appreciate Derek's strong leadership qualities and the positive impact he has had on our wrestling program," Lyke said. "He has worked hard to move the program forward. We wish Derek all the best in his new endeavors with his wife and moving with her to Nashville." "I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my amazing coaching journey over the past 15 seasons and especially the support given to me by all the coaches and administrators here at Eastern Michigan," stated DelPorto. "Walking away from the sport is a very difficult decision but certainly the right one for my family and me." In his career at EMU, DelPorto coached a pair of Mid-American Conference Champions and had student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships on 17 different occasions. In his most recent season (2013-14), DelPorto coached EMU to a 13-7 overall record and a 3-4 record in the Mid-American Conference. EMU sent four grapplers to the 2014 NCAA National Championships, tying for the most during DelPorto's eight-year run at the helm of the program. In addition to his team's success, DelPorto became the winningest coach in Eastern Michigan wrestling history after earning 85 victories during his tenure. In his first season, 2006-07, DelPorto led the Eagles to their first winning record since the 1990-91 campaign, posting an 8-7 mark. He also led the Green and White to only the second MAC dual victory in the past decade. He followed up that campaign by coaching the Eagles to their best year in program history. That team went 15-8-1 through the season, smashing its previous top mark of 12-9-1, set in 1974-75. "I need to recognize and give special thanks to my Assistant Coach of seven years, David Bolyard, for helping bring the Eastern Michigan wrestling program back to relevancy," remarked DelPorto. "I also need to thank all of my athletes over the past eight seasons here at EMU who believed in my system and worked just as hard to get us to where we are today. This program is in great shape and will only continue to thrive in the future. Heather is very knowledgeable about the sport and I'm positive she will continue to do what is best for this program to continue its success." Prior to arriving in Ypsilanti, DelPorto, a former All-American wrestler at Slippery Rock, returned to his alma mater as head coach for the 2004-05 season. Slippery Rock won the team championship at the NCAA Division I East Regional tournament and advanced a tournament-record 10 wrestlers to weight-class championship final bouts while recording a school record-tying four individual titles. DelPorto began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock from 1999-2000 before moving on to the University of Oklahoma as an assistant from 2000-02. From 2002-04, DelPorto was an assistant wrestling coach at Cornell University. For his efforts at Slippery Rock as a student-athlete, DelPorto was inducted into the Slippery Rock Hall of Fame in 2011. The Erie, Pa. native compiled the third highest win total in Rock wrestling history with a 116-38 career record and was a three-time regional champion (177 lbs. in 1996, heavyweight in 1998 and 1999). DelPorto won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference heavyweight title in 1998 before capping off his collegiate career with an eighth-place finish in the 1999 NCAA Division I National Tournament. The 38-year-old DelPorto grew up in Erie, Pa. and graduated from Cathedral Prep of Erie in 1994. DelPorto went on to wrestle as a collegian at Slippery Rock where he earned his degree in English education in 1999 before receiving his masters in sport management from Eastern Michigan in 2007.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Wrestling has named Matt Lindland of Gresham, Ore. as its National Greco-Roman Coach. Lindland, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2001 World silver medalist as a Greco-Roman athlete, will lead the U.S. Greco-Roman national program, coaching the nation's elite Greco-Roman athletes and guiding the development of the program at all levels. Matt Lindland (Photo/Larry Slater)He replaces Steve Fraser, who served as National Greco-Roman coach for more than 18 years, and has moved to a newly created position in the National Teams Department as Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations. "We are excited to have Matt join our staff at USA Wrestling. As one the our greatest warriors in U.S. Greco Roman history, Matt will bring that same tenacity and drive to recruiting, preparing, and leading our best and brightest into World and Olympic competition. After an extensive process, Matt separated himself as the obvious choice to design and direct this program into the future. The U.S. Greco Roman program took a big step forward today," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "For me, it is an honor to serve in this capacity. If there was any position I ever wanted, it would be to lead USA Wrestling in the Olympic Games and World Championships, and help our team win medals. My goal is to win Olympic medals and prepare our athletes to execute at the most important tournaments. When I get into the position, I will have a better idea of what goals to set for this Olympic cycle and into the future. I want to get us back to where we are the best team in the world again," said Lindland. "Matt has been very involved in our program the last few years, coaching at both the Senior and developmental levels. I've been impressed with Matt's coaching abilities on and off the mat. The athletes have given us very positive feedback about Matt's coaching style. I look forward to working with Matt Lindland to put U.S. Greco-Roman at the top of the podium at the World Championships and Olympic Games," said Les Gutches, USA Wrestling's Associate Executive Director for Programs and Strategy. Lindland, who is 44, becomes USA Wrestling's fourth full-time National Greco-Roman Coach, following Dennis Koslowski (1988-1990), Mike Houck (1991-1995) and Steve Fraser (1995-2014) in the position. Lindland has vast experience in Greco-Roman, both as a world-class athlete and a successful wrestling coach. In addition, he brings additional coaching experience in Mixed Martial Arts, where he was both a champion athlete and a coach for numerous successful athletes. Most recently, Lindland served as World Team Coach for the 2013 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team which competed in Budapest, Hungary. He has coached U.S. tour teams which have competed in Poland twice and in Cuba. Lindland also coached at a number of Greco-Roman National Team Training camps in recent years. He also has extensive experience coaching at the college level, serving as an assistant at the two colleges where he attended as a student-athlete. In recent years, he has been a coach for Clackamas CC in Oregon, one of the nation's top junior college teams, working with head coach Josh Rhoden. Clackamas won the NJCAA team title in 2011. This season, Clackamas won the National Duals title, placed third at the NJCAA Nationals and had a record seven All-Americans. During his competitive career, Lindland served as an assistant coach at Nebraska from 1993-1996. During his time on the Cornhusker staff, Lindland coached NCAA champion Brad Vering and All-American Justin Ruiz, both who later went on to become World medalists in Greco-Roman for the United States. Four-time NCAA All-American Bryan Snyder was also a star athlete who competed under Lindland. After retiring from wrestling in 2001, Lindland became a professional mixed martial arts athlete. Lindland was the top ranked Middleweight in MMA for a number of years. He also opened up his own successful gym, Team Quest, where he coached mixed martial arts athletes, as well as youth wrestlers in the Portland community. Over 20 athletes coached by Lindland became fighters in the UFC, and many others participated in other MMA organizations. One of Lindland's club athletes, Tarrance Williams, who also competes in Mixed Martial Arts, placed fourth at the 2014 U.S. Greco-Roman Open in Las Vegas, Nev. "I am excited about working with our Senior-level athletes, the guys who represent our nation. My job is to help them to prepare and to work with their current coaches. It is all about getting them competition-ready and giving them the best tools for success. Many of these guys I have built relationships with, and I know their coaches. It will be a team effort. I will help them to set a game plan. It will be my job to facilitate opportunities for them and to hold them accountable," said Lindland. Lindland was one of the most successful Greco-Roman athletes in American history. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, competing at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. Lindland won five straight matches to earn a spot in the finals including a clutch 7-4 win over Armenia's David Manukyan in the semifinals. He was edged in the gold-medal match by Russia's Murat Kardanov, 3-0. In 2001, Lindland went up a weight class to compete at to 85 kg/187 lbs. and had to beat top stars like Dan Henderson, Quincey Clark and Ethan Bosch to make the U.S. team. He won a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships, defeating Russia's Alexander Menshikov, 5-2 in the semifinals. He was beaten in the finals by Mukhran Vakhrangadze of Georgia, 2-1 in overtime. Lindland won the U.S. Open five times and was runner-up three times. He also made U.S. World Teams three straight years from 1997-1999, placing sixth in the 1998 Worlds. He won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games, as well as the 1996 World Cup. Lindland won international events in Iran, Egypt, Poland and the United States. He was one of the first set of athletes to become a U.S. Olympic Training Center Greco-Roman resident athletes in Colorado Springs, Colo., training there from 1993-1996. A native of the Portland area, he was a two-time Oregon state medalist for Gladstone High School. Lindland went to Clackamas CC, where he was a 1991 NJCAA Junior College National champion. He transferred to the Univ. of Nebraska, where he was a top star for the Cornhusker team for two years, and was ranked No. 1 in the nation at his weight class his senior year. In addition to competing and coaching in Mixed Martial Arts, Lindland was also a promoter for numerous MMA events. In that role, he embraced the new media and has been very successful in getting the word out about his events and his athletes. Lindland believes all disciplines of combat are related directly to wrestling. "To me, it's one and the same," said Lindland. "Wrestling is the hardest part about MMA. Once you learn how to wrestle, you can learn the other techniques. Too many people want to get caught up in the differences. It is all grappling. I just call it wrestling. Submission wrestling, Greco, collegiate, jacket wrestling. It is all the same sport." He and wife Angie, have a son, James (21) and a daughter, Robin (19). Lindland will actively work with college programs and Regional Training Centers to encourage their athletes to pursue Olympic dreams in Greco-Roman. His background as a college coach will help him develop the necessary relationships. "Everyone agrees that we want to get blue-chip athletes into the Greco-Roman program. We have to show them that there is a way to have an Olympic opportunity in Greco-Roman. We will go after the best guys we can, the NCAA caliber athlete. We need to show the colleges and the Regional Training Centers that Greco-Roman will benefit their programs," said Lindland. He also respects the tradition of Greco-Roman within the U.S. military program, as well as the importance of the U.S. Olympic Training Center program in creating excellence for Greco-Roman Team USA. "I would like to see top guys training at the Olympic Training Center. We also have so many great wrestlers in the military. We can work hand-in-hand together. We need a very competitive environment in our program. But, we also need to come together and win together as Team USA," said Lindland. Lindland loves the new rules of Greco-Roman wrestling, and believes that American wrestlers will perform well. "A few years ago, I didn't recognize the sport, and I didn't understand it. It had changed that much. Now, it is what I know and the wrestling that I understand. It is how Greco-Roman wrestling should be. It has once again become chest-to-chest, heads up, combat fighting," said Lindland. He expects to have a flexible coaching style which will be personalized to the needs of specific athletes. "I believe the athletes will dictate my coaching style. It will be based upon the athlete's personal needs. I will treat them equally, but they will all be treated differently. The wrestlers have different styles and different needs. You have to help them succeed with what they have," said Lindland.

There are two World championships left before the United States decides its freestyle team. That time leaves fans and pundits to project -- often with little more than hunches -- who will be in top form come time for the Rio Olympics. The U.S. men's freestyle team is one of the best in the world. From finishing third at the World Cup in 2013 to their double gold in London, the team will likely be one of the top five at this year's World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and should they improve over the coming year, the Americans can make a run at the Russians and Iranians in 2015. But who will make the Olympic team in 2016? 57 kilos I've been fortunate over the past 18 months to watch a lot of freestyle wrestling and as I take in the teams I'm constantly reminded of America's recent lack of production at 57 kilos. We have talented individuals, but they haven't won major titles and in matches with top opponents have yet to make the jump. Jesse Delgado is a two-time NCAA champion with one season remaining (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Looking ahead to the rest of 2014 and 2015 the U.S. team has a veteran in Angel Escobedo, and Obe Blanc, who is serving a suspension. Assuming that they aren't able to compete and train like they did as younger, less suspended men, who can emerge from the pack of possible young talent? Though I want to tell you Nahshon Garrett is the future at the weight class, I'm hopeful for the improvement and/or change and I think that could come with Jesse Delgado. His current funk-first style won't work at the international level, but he can be taught to tighten up his exposure and fin more of his impressive attacks. Delgado will finish up college in 2015 and have a little more than a year to make those improvements. It's a wide-open and unproven weight class, but given the right tools and training Delgado could be the surprise member of the 2016 Olympic team. Prediction: Jesse Delgado 65 kilos The buzz around Aaron Pico has been so loud that many wrestling fans have been deaf to the successes of 2013 World Team member Bren Metcalf. Tough-nosed and with an ever-improving left side hi-crotch, the two-time NCAA champion has returned to top form in 2014. Though Pico is sure to improve on his recent struggles at a junior-level tournament in Turkey, the outcome did signal that the young grappler will need more time, strength and maturity to upend the older, stronger and mentally tough Metcalf by 2016. If any other wrestler does challenge for the position it might be Logan Stieber, who has shown the ability to win at both the NCAA and international level. He'd have to control his funk (back exposures are almost always bad in freestyle) to make a run at Metcalf and the world, but should he find that stricter style he emerges as the top opponent to Metcalf heading into 2016. Prediction: Brent Metcalf 74 kilos The toughest weight class at the men's freestyle tournament, 74 kilos will put a lot of butts in the seats over the next few years. But will it matter? Will anyone beat Burroughs? Jordan Burroughs was pushed by David Taylor at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)David Taylor has the best chance to beat Burroughs in a head-to-head match, but he's having a tough time making it past Kyle Dake. So can Dake beat Burroughs? Maybe. But with the new passivity interpretations and fleeing calls, it's unlikely that his squat-and-stall style can do enough to beat the three-time World titleholder. Essentially the weight class will come down to experience, and that tips to Burroughs. He knows how to win in freestyle and though he's made some mistakes in matches in the past, they've been the brief exception. He's given up takedowns and exposures, but in the end he's always found a way to beat both Dake and Taylor. Knowing how to win can't be taught and it isn't easily forgotten. Prediction: Jordan Burroughs 86 kilos Keith Gavin has been No. 1 in the 86-kilo weight class, but it's a weight class primed for a change at the top. The most successful of all of Gavin's competitors is Clayton Foster, who has beaten Olympic bronze medalist Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) and two-time World champion Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine). Gavin has been a great placeholder for the American squad, and though he's likely to retain the spot in 2014 he will be in his 30's by 2016. Facing Foster is a tall order late in a career, but by 2016 he won't be Gavin's biggest problem. It's highly likely that in 2016 Gavin's toughest opponent will be Ed Ruth. I'd been hesitant to believe. But Rutht's recent steamrolling of Spain's Taymuraz Friev at the Beat the Streets event (Gavin lost to Friev the Paris Golden Grand Prix) showed his ability to engage and push foreign competitors in a way that both Foster and Gavin cannot. Ruth will still need to wrestle past a plethora of competitors, but with focus on freestyle, Cael in his corner, and two years of international experience, Ruth won't just be the best wrestler in America at 86 kilos, he will probably be one of the best in the world. Prediction: Ed Ruth 97 kilos Jake Varner won the U.S. Open title at 97 kilos in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Winners win and when you're the defending Olympic champion it means that you are the No. 1 seed heading into the Olympic cycle. If one wrestler seems capable of beating Varner in 2016 it's Kyle Snyder, who looked remarkable against Khadzhimurat Gatsalov of Russia, a five-time World champion and Olympic champion. Despite Snyder and possibly J'den Cox mixing it up with Varner, Coach Cael, experience of competition and a fresh outlook will prove to be the right mix of motivation for the champion wrestler. Varner doesn't lose with frequency, and with rules even better suited to his controlled style, it's likely that he will keep improving his strategy and finding tough wins. He also has an incredible ankle pick and foot sweep. Prediction: Jake Varner 125 kilos I'm a big fan of Tervel Dlagnev, but as he creeps into his 30's it will be difficult for him to maintain the style that has provided him the most success. He's already facing a lot of competitors in the United States with Tyrell Fortune and Dom Bradley putting up substantial fights. However, I think it will be 2014 NCAA champions Nick Gwiazdowski who shows up the competition in 2016. He's an admitted long shot, but after beating Tony Nelson twice in freestyle (once by technical fall) and putting together a technically proficient NCAA tournament, he's shown that though he's young there is potentially a World medal in his future. With specific training and a body two years bigger and tougher, he should be ready to make a big splash on the international scene. It might be minor point, but Gwiz will also be coming off his final season of NCAA wrestling, and some of America's best finishes over the past few years (Jake Herbert in 2009, Jordan Burroughs in 2011) have come from competitors who had recently finished college. Prediction: Nick Gwiazdowski

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State assistant wrestling coach Bret Maughan has announced that he will not be returning as a member of the NDSU coaching staff for the 2014-15 season. Maughan recently completed his 13th season as an assistant coach for the Bison, capped by back-to-back seasons with NDSU wrestlers earning NCAA All-American honors. As a team, Maughan helped guide NDSU into the top 30 at the NCAA Championships in each of the last two seasons, including an all-time high finish of 21st in 2014. The Bison won a Western Wrestling Conference regular season title in 2012-13 and the NCAA West Regional title in 2014. “This decision was not an easy one, as Bison Wrestling has always been a huge part of my life,” said Maughan. “I have had the privilege of working with many great wrestlers over the years, and I am still very fortunate to be a part of their lives.” Maughan coached numerous Division I and Division II national qualifiers and All-Americans, including Todd Fuller, Nick Severson, Paul Carlson, Thad Pike, Nick Magee, Eric Hoffman, Ryan Adams, Jacob Bryce, Vince Salminen, Trent Sprenkle and Steven Monk. “In my role as an assistant coach, a big part of the job is being on the mat and wrestling collegiate athletes,” said Maughan. “In the last few years, that has become more of a physical challenge for me to maintain. The time demands of coaching Division I wrestling have also continually increased over the years, to the point where the time away from my children was the tipping point.” “I have been privileged to work with a great staff, a supportive administration and for this university as a whole. I want to thank Gene Taylor for the opportunity to work for my alma mater. I’m looking forward to staying in the Fargo-Moorhead community, continuing my professional career in education, and having more freedom to spend time with my children,” said Maughan. NDSU won two North Central Conference titles and two Western Wrestling Conference titles during Maughan’s time on the coaching staff. “Bret has been a crucial part of the overall success and growth of our program, especially through the years of transition to Division I,” said NDSU head coach Roger Kish. “Bison wrestling has grown tremendously during his time here. We’re very grateful for the years of hard work and dedication that Bret has given to the program.” Maughan is the son of Hall of Fame coach Bucky Maughan, who coached NDSU from 1964-2011. Next season will be the first since 1963 without a member of the Maughan family on the NDSU coaching staff. Maughan is a distinguished member of the Fargo North Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Fargo North High School Hall of Fame and the North Dakota High School Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was most recently inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 as a member of the 1988 national championship team.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Sammie Henson, who has excelled as a wrestler and as a coach, has been named West Virginia University’s eighth head wrestling coach, Director of Athletics Oliver Luck announced today. Sammie Henson coaching at the 2014 NCAAs in Oklahoma City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)“We are excited to have Sammie Henson join the Mountaineer family as our new head wrestling coach,” says Luck. “Sammie has experienced much success as a wrestler and a coach, and he knows what it takes to win. He brings a lot of excitement, energy and enthusiasm, and understands the work ethic that all Mountaineers share.” Henson, who brings with him 17 years of coaching experience, has coached more than 20 All-Americans and five NCAA national champions. In those 17 years, Henson has never had a season without an All-American and has raised the level of success in each of those years. A native of St. Charles, Mo., Henson comes to WVU from Missouri, where he spent the last two seasons as head assistant coach. In just two seasons at Missouri, he assisted in producing the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the nation in 2013 in addition to leading the Tigers to two consecutive conference titles and seven All-America finishes, including one national champion this past season. “First of all, I want to thank Oliver Luck, Keli Cunningham and Terri Howes and the rest of the athletic staff at West Virginia for believing in me,” says Henson. “I know they were searching for the right person to lead West Virginia wrestling and they found the right person for the job. This is a great fit for me and my family, and I look forward to changing the culture to making West Virginia wrestling among the nation’s best.” Prior to Missouri, Henson was the assistant head coach at Oklahoma from 2009-11. While there, he helped secure the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, coached seven wrestlers to All-America status at the NCAA Championships and helped the program become the top academic squad in the Big 12 during his tenure. Before Henson arrived at Oklahoma, the Sooners hadn’t had an All-American in two years. “I want to thank Brian Smith (head wrestling coach at Missouri) and the University of Missouri for the opportunities that they have presented to me and preparing me to become the head wrestling coach at West Virginia,” says Henson. “My style of wrestling and coaching is something that Mountaineer fans and the administration will be proud of. I’m excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to get started.” Prior to his stint with Oklahoma, Henson served as the head assistant at Cal Poly (2007-09), volunteer assistant at Nebraska (2006-07), along with stops as an assistant at Army (2002-03) and Penn State (2000-02). During his time at Penn State, Henson assisted head coach Troy Sunderland in taking the Nittany Lions from 35th in the country to sixth with a pair of top-five recruiting classes in just two years. He has mentored numerous national champions, such as Michael Lightner (Oklahoma), Byron Tucker (Oklahoma), Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) and J’den Cox (Missouri), along with several All-Americans, Big 12 Champions, Big 10 Champions and Pac 12 Champions, including: Shane and Dane Valdez (Oklahoma), Witt Durden (Oklahoma) and Josh and Scott Moore (Penn State), Chad Mendes (Cal Poly), Chase Pami (Cal Poly), Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly), Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), Zach Bailey (Oklahoma), Kyle Terry (Oklahoma), Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma) and Eric Lapotsky (Oklahoma). Henson has been widely recognized as one of the elite assistant coaches in the country. Tim Foley of Intermat rated him as the best in the nation in an article from 2010, stating that "Henson's intensity is legendary and seemingly always transferred to his grapplers. There is nothing coincidental about his arrival in Norman and the Sooners impressive 2009-2010 turnaround." Along with collegiate coaching, Henson is also the current head coach for the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club, which has more current world and Olympic wrestlers than any other wrestling club in the United States. Out of the seven freestyle wrestlers who represented Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, three came from the Sunkist Kids. Included in that group is Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs. Also representing the United States in the Olympics in 2012 were Sam Hazewenkil (55 kg/121.3 lbs. and Tervel Dlagnev (120 kg/264.6 lbs.). “In addition to his record on the mat as a competitor and coach, two things really stood out to me about Sammie,” adds Luck. “First, he has an excellent record academically during his coaching career and that is important to us provided our recent issues,” adds Luck. “Secondly, at all his stops, Sammie has had a vibrant role in the regional training centers to help amateur wrestlers train at the highest levels. Regional training centers make huge impacts with collegiate and amateur wresters, and we are excited to re-establish the dormant wrestling training center here.” Henson's resume as a competitor speaks for itself. He went on to become one of the most celebrated wrestlers in the history of the United States, as one of just a few wrestlers in USA history to earn three world medals. In 1998, Henson became a world champion for Team USA at the World Wrestling Championships, in Tehran, Iran, which eventually led to him winning the John Smith Award for USA Wrestler of the Year. He earned a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games at 55 kg (121 lbs.) in Sydney, Australia, and won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships at 35 years of age. Additionally, Henson was named USOC Athlete of the Month of September 1998, and was a finalist for the Sullivan Award in 1999 for his efforts in the World Championships. In all, Henson has won more than 15 freestyle titles at the international level. Henson started his collegiate wrestling career at Missouri, where he was a Big Eight Champion and All-American for Missouri in 1991. He then transferred to Clemson, where he became a two-time NCAA Champion, finishing his career with a 71-0 record. He was named as Clemson's Male Athlete of the Year in 1994 and was inducted into the Clemson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. Henson returned to Missouri in 1995 to earn a degree in parks, recreation and tourism management. Henson and his wife, Stephanie, have four children: Jackson, Wyatt, Ruby and Georgia-Kate. They also have two dogs Biggie Smalls and Nelly.

Iranian fans show their passion for wrestling (Photo/Borna Ghasemi, FILA-Official.com) The Greco-Roman World Cup finishes up today in Tehran and after two days of horns, drums, chanting and singing my nerves are a little frayed. My fingers are shaking, my ears are ringing and I'm more frazzled than a freshman trumpeter at an after-prom party. But mostly I'm just impressed. The fans here, their energy, their passion, their consideration for the sport of wrestling is absolutely unmatched by any other fan base on the planet. Iran arguably has the world's best wrestlers, but inarguably it has the world's most passionate fans. Chants are always positive ("Wrestling with enthusiasm" "We Love You, SORYAN") and there are even poems written about past champions and sang to them upon entrance into a building. And it's not only their own wrestlers. American heavyweight Robbie Smith has a beard, bright American socks and engages the crowd with a passionate style of wrestling. In return he's chanted, cheered and adored. So what can America do to close this ever-widening "fan gap?" Americans are, at their roots, Puritanical and modest. We're a Judeo-Christian society that harkens back to a Pilgrim immigrant class so stuck up that the ENGLISH booted us from their country. Despite the lack of fun and serious reflexive serious nature for which we consume all things, I think Americans have the flexibility to have fun. We have an incredible music tradition filled with diversity and expertise and a creative class that is the envy of the world. We also have plenty of events where we can test the validity of new ideas. Soccer has started to close its fan gap both at the MLS level and the U.S. Men's and Women's National Team. The new campaign I Believe We Can Win is one example of the national team's new-found cheering section, but there are dozens more. American fans looked across the ocean, learned how to cheer and then reversed engineered their way into some catchy tunes. Wrestling fans can, and should, do the same. Let's tap that resource and star cheering traditions for the sport of wrestling in America. Lets' have a little less booing and a little more fun. Let's tone down with the bravado and focus a touch more on the camaraderie and respect. What are some of your ideas for new cheering traditions? Any original chants? List them below! As a note, it's also important to remember that the United States is bidding to host the 2015 World Cup and has already been awarded the 2015 World Championships. Can we pull it off? Can we become a nation of enthusiastic, respectful cheerleaders? I believe. To your questions ... Q: Is there any chance 70 kilos will become an Olympic weight class for 2020 Tokyo? That they will add the two catch weights? -- @WelchsGrapevine Foley: Highly unlikely, though by 2020 there will be several readjustments made by the IOC and FILA. There are many factors at play when discussing the number of weight classes for Olympic competition. The first is the number of athletes included in the original contract awarded to the host city. For Tokyo that number is 10,500 athletes spread across all sports. Under the current qualification system there is no room for wrestling to add six weights (and it would have to be two per style). Then you have to get into the number of medals handed out. Would they allow another six gold medals with no change to the double bronze system? Unlikely. Would wrestling want to get rid of the double bronze? Maybe. But there is an argument that by increasing the number of medaling nations from 21 with a single bronze to 29 with a double bronze you engender more participation. Behind your question is the working assumption that there is a massive saturation of talent in wrestling. The truth is that in 2012 there were no teams that qualified a wrestler at every weight class across all three styles. That means that there is no issue with opportunities to compete. America might have a backup at 74 kilos and Russia at 66 kilos, but that doesn't mean it's a problem shared by the other 100-plus participating nations. Finally, giving smaller nations the ability to field a full six-member roster is also vital to ensuring the continued participation and investment. If we want to grow wrestling it's essential that we create opportunities for all countries to get onto the medal stand. Just one man's opinion! Q: What's up with the rankings that FILA puts out? It seems that there are not many Americans represented. An example is Alibeggadzhi Emeev at 65 kilos. Emeev came to America and lost to three Americans and is ranked 14th. None of the Americans that beat him are ranked. Me thinks Brent Metcalf should be at least merit an honorable mention off his World Cup domination, but nothing. The rankings are pretty much discredited when the No. 1 in the world loses to someone unranked (Metcalf defeats Magomed Kurbanaliev 11-8 at Beat The Streets). In your opinion, should Kyle Dake and David Taylor be ranked in the top 20 at 74 kilos? I personally think they should be top ten but I am admittedly an American homer. At 97 kilos, the defending Olympic champion comes out of retirement and looks great, but is not top 20 in the world? How about a senior level ranking by InterMat? -- Dave A. Foley: As stated before I do a lot of work for FILA, and that includes helping to publish the rankings. First, it's important to remember that until last year there were never any rankings in international wrestling. The effort to provide new rankings came from two hard-working individuals brought on to help during the Save Olympic Wrestling movement. The system for rankings is admittedly self-produced. To get ranked requires that wrestlers compete, and succeed, in overseas competition. However, because there is no ranking system imparted in wrestling that would compel our wrestlers to go overseas and compete, the rankings can be skewed to those who get on the mats. For example you mentioned Brent Metcalf. Certainly he will rise in the rankings next month, but a single win over former No.1 Kurbanaliev isn't quite enough to make him No.1. Unfortunately Brent hasn't been overseas very much this season. He competed at the Ivan Yarygin and lost to Roman Flasov (who he'd beaten twice before) and Falsov eventually lost to Kurbanaliev -- the eventual champion who beat -- wait for it -- Emeev in the finals. While Metcalf has been smoking the American competition and looked good at BTS, you have to judge his work against the rest of the world, who by proximity or attitude is wrestling each other with more frequency. The World Cup helped Brent and others, but it just wasn't a large enough sample size to drive guys north. None of this is the ranking guy's fault. Wrestling will try to change their competition schedule so that various meets matter more than others and the wrestlers are given points for finishes. It's a system more similar to judo or tennis where the guesswork is taken out of the rankings. Go here, win this, and you'll be ranked here. Those rankings will matter because that'll be your seed going forward. Like anything, this will take time. In the meantime the rankings are effective at creating a discussion and allowing fans to dig into results and get to know the names. Not perfect, but effective and always evolving. It's a monster task, and one that I'm impressed is accomplished every month! Q: Forgive any ignorance due to age, but is Bruce Burnett an impact hire? Or stop gap solution till after 2016? -- @Will_J_157 Foley: Bruce Burnett isn't as well known to wrestling fans as Cael or John Smith, but he is arguably one of the best coaches in the history of American wrestling. You may not remember, but Coach Burnett was at the helm of the USA team in 1995 when the men's freestylers won the World championship and in 1996 when the Stars and Stripes won the overall medal count at the Atlanta Games. Burnett wins and when he's given driven, talented and well-disciplined men he does even better. The upside to Burnett's agreement is that he can both deliver results in 2016, but also step out of the way in 2016 to allow for a talent like John Smith or Cael Sanderson to take the reins. Think of Burnett like you would George Washington entering his second term as president. There is an end date, a bloodless transfer of power and likely some pretty stellar men waiting in the wings. American freestylers are pretty thrilled with the choice, as are guys who have seen Burnett coach. USA Wrestling now has another dedicated, professional and proven coach on their side. If the Americans want to compete for the team title in 2016, Burnett was one of the only men who could deliver the goods. Great hire. Q: Nike Wrestling is trying to make a "comeback." What do you think Nike can do to repair the relationship with the community? -- @coachc133 Foley: Do they need to "repair" their relationship? Meh. I can see that Nike disappeared for a bit and along with helping to engineer the cutting of the Oregon program made for a bad stink. Still, the wrestling show market is a fairly saturated marketplace that has for decades been controlled by Asics and Adidas. Nike's divestment after 2005 might have stung, but they weren't exactly making cutting-edge stuff. We'll see how the new shoe feels and how it is marketed to fans. If Aaron Pico becomes some type of superstar and is helping them launch the product then I expect it will do well. That's a big if and one I suspect isn't strong enough from which a multi-billion dollar company would create and market a new product. Let's see what else they come out with and how it's marketed. Then we can make a full-on assault or simply sit back and golf clap. Q: Is the site you adore on a basketball floor wrestling mats from door to door? -- @Rob_SwagginU Foley: And donkey basketball. In high school I was part of a senior class that did a fundraiser that included -- as its grand finale -- a donkey basketball game against teachers and members of the administration. Parents, faculty and students came out by the hundreds. Even my parents -- who as wrestling parents had camped in gymnasiums for years -- decided to attend. If you have never played or seen donkey basketball the rules and construct are simple to grasp. You are on a donkey playing basketball. The donkey moves its own way, only sometimes listening to your commands and when it doesn't move the hired Donkey Handler will give the jackass a nice shock to the rear end to gitty it up. The shock and resulting buck also tends to dislodge the ball from the carrier's possession. Typical scores in donkey basketball hover in the single digits or low double digits. Something like 14-8 for an hour-long game is common because ball handling is difficult and injuries are common. The donkeys also don't listen to reason and with some poop on the ground the game is a carnival affair ripe for the unexpected. As you might imagine there is also added danger when brittle-boned, out-of-shape math teachers saddle a belligerent jackass whilst doing something mildly athletic. Our game didn't end when the history teacher toppled over the side of his stubborn steed, but maybe it should have. I'm not exaggerating when I write that this certain teacher had his kneecap turned the wrong direction, tore his ACL and was taken to the hospital by medics -- all in the first quarter. The promoters -- if there was such a thing -- decided to play on. The Donkey Wrangler, a chubby man in his 40s with a growing belly and a belt he needed to constantly pull skyward, had appealed to have his donkeys get more exercise. There was an agreement to continue play with no adjustments made to rules, or for player safety, thus proving that the 90's were weird and that there is NO QUITTING in donkey basketball. On the restart the game quickened. The faculty had better teamwork, but the students seemed to find the rim more often and managed to get a few more balls to fall through the hoop. I am by no means a horseman, but I felt that after a second and third go atop my stubborn steed I was beginning to get control of how to manage his direction. Late in the third quarter I scored back-to-back goals, which is precisely when things went from weird to backwoods wonky. Early on the Donkey Wrangler had taken enjoyment in seeing his jackasses gallop and buck in reaction to the electronic prod. After the spill by the history teacher he focused more of that satanic energy on the students. Maybe it was something I said in defense of his relentless prodding of our sub-equine rides, or maybe it was my face, or the back-to-back buckets, but in the third quarter the Donkey Wrangler turned his prodding energy to the rear-end of my jackass. That the donkey bucked was bothersome but that it kept happening with greater frequency to me had me upset enough that I made some sort of gesture and had asked the wrangler to please stop. He didn't, and a teacher, seeing my anxiety but unable to control the frumpy West Virginian had me pulled me from the game. It was time to let everyone calm down. Near the end of the game I was given a final few minutes to mount the donkey and throw the ball towards the hoop. The students were winning and nothing of consequence was occurring until the Donkey Wrangle once again came over to my donkey, except this time, with time about to expire he hit me with non-electric side of the prod. He had progressed from bullying the butt of a donkey to the leg of a 145-pound high-schooler. Though I'm somewhat confrontational as an adult, as a 17-year-old I faced authority with a tilt towards the deference -- Sir and Ma'm were, and are, still common. An adult HITTING me was beyond comprehension, and since I felt innocent I was certain that something wasn't right with him. Even then I understood that certain kinds of crazy aren't worth confronting. The game over, I hopped from the donkey and walked to the sidelines ever-carefully to avoid eye contact with the Donkey Wrangler. It hadn't worked. The man found me in a mix of people and walked alongside me and continuously whipped me in the knee with the cattle prod. I kept my eyes forward, and continued forward to a group of friends where I sat on the ground. The Donkey Wrangler stood over top of me and mother-eff'ed me with spit flying from his tobacco-chewing pie hole. I sat quietly by as a teacher finally intervened and led the Donkey Wrangler towards the doors of an adjacent cafeteria. What this man didn't know, and what I hadn't expected, was that my father had seen the entire interaction unfold and along with my mom had by now seen enough. They'd tried to stay back, but at some point in the interaction my father had decided to act. I had seen my father mad, but I had never seen him this type of mad. He took on an eyes forward march that I imagine could drive sheep off a cliff. Whatever the Donkey Wrangler had thought would be the outcome of his night, I'm certain that it didn't include a 200-pound barrel-chested recently retired Marine chasing him through the lobby of a high school. My father had reached the Donkey Wrangler about the time he made it to the doors leading to the adjacent cafeteria. From there my father assisted him through the doors and was likely working on a way to dislodge the man's head from his shoulders when SEVERAL Stafford County Sheriffs jumped into to restrain him. It's hard to pull a wild animal off a kill and I was told my father nipped and lunged until his message was crystal clear: Look at my son again and I'll disembowel you. No blood was shed in the cafeteria, though as the head jackass walked past the students (escorted by sheriff deputies) it was obvious that he had spent time crying, possibly weeping. If he's peed himself it would have been justified -- he'd almost been killed. So I guess what I'm saying is that I also adore the sight of donkeys on a basketball floor. Being assaulted by a grown man might seem like some bad childhood memory, but it's really not. It's actually awesome because it's exactly how I want to feel in defending my children. Make the jackasses cry.

USAFA, Colo. -- Sam Barber has been named the head coach for the Air Force wrestling team, as announced today by Director of Athletics Dr. Hans Mueh. Barber takes over the reins after spending the past six years as an assistant coach for the Falcons. "Sam Barber is highly respected within the wrestling community and amateur sports world for his integrity, class and inspiration to his athletes," said Mueh. "I'm confident that the program will continue to thrive under his leadership, especially with the experience Bart Horton brings as his top assistant." Sam Barber (Photo/Air Force Sports Information)Barber joined the Air Force wrestling program in 2008-09 as a volunteer assistant, before spending the past five seasons as a full-time assistant and recruiting coordinator for the Falcons. During his time at the Academy, Barber has coached 11 national qualifiers, while also making his mark as a recruiter, bringing in one of the top 25 classes in the nation in 2012. With more than 18 years of coaching experience, Barber's resume also includes a pair of head coaching stints, as well as 10 years coaching at the international level. He served as the head coach at his alma mater, Upper Iowa, and at perennial DIII powerhouse Augsburg College (Minn.). Among Barber's recent accomplishments on the international level include serving as the head coach of the 2012 FILA Cadet Pan American freestyle team and the 2013 FILA Junior Pan American freestyle team, which both captured gold medals. Additionally, Barber is responsible for coaching Jesus Wilson, who placed second in the 1999 World Team Trials. "With humility and gratitude, I am excited to accept the challenge of becoming the next head coach at the United States Air Force Academy," said Barber. "I would not be in this position without the support of so many people throughout my career. I would like to thank Dr. Mueh and Mr. George Nelson for providing me the opportunity to lead the Air Force Academy wrestling program." "On the mat, the vision will be to produce podium-prepared athletes who live a championship lifestyle," continued Barber. "This will directly support the essence of the institution: to build leaders of character in service to our nation in a culture of commitment and a climate of respect." What They're Saying: "We have without a doubt found the right guy to lead our wrestling program into the future. Sam is a great recruiter, teacher and mentor for these future officers to learn from. He understands our mission and how our cadet athletes fit into and contribute to that mission. I am confident he and his staff will keep us competitive for a long time." -George Nelson, Associate Athletic Director, Air Force Academy "The Air Force Academy made a great hire in their selection for their new wrestling coach. Sam Barber exemplifies all the values that the Academy looks for in a role model and leader for their cadets: honor, perseverance and integrity, with a deep seated belief that he is there to help each cadet be the best they can be. Sam's total commitment to the Academy and its value system will be a role model for cadets to admire and follow." -J Robinson, Head Coach, University of Minnesota "The United States Air Force Academy made a exceptional decision in its selection of Sam Barber to be the next leader of its program. Sam is an exceptional coach and a wonderful leader of men. Sam's passion for wrestling and desire to help athletes achieve their goals is unmatched. USA Wrestling is looking forward to working with Coach Barber and his staff as they continue to improve the program." -Rich Bender, Executive Director, USA Wrestling "I am very pleased to learn that Sam Barber has been selected as the new head wrestling coach at the United States Air Force Academy. Sam has a distinguished history in wrestling as both a coach and administrator and is greatly respected by the entire wrestling community. I know he will do a superb job." -Wayne Baughman, former Air Force head coach

A photo from Indiana's state wrestling tournament (Photo/Steve Asa) Five years ago, InterMat did a feature article analyzing the different state tournament formats across the country (individual, dual meet, scored vs. unscored, number of qualifiers, number of classes, et al). Now it's time to revisit one aspect of the topic with an analytical twist. At times there is discussion on both state and national message boards about the merits of "classed" individual state wrestling tournaments. At the simplest level, the debate may center on if the state wrestling tournament be conducted as one event regardless of school enrollment size. On a secondary level, discussion may shift towards the "proper" number of classes. To set the table for this discussion, let's lay out how many classes (or divisions) each state has for its individual bracket wrestling championships at present. Note that certain states will use classifications that are in effect across all sports, while others will create an equal number of schools/teams in each division for that specific sport. At the simplest level, those advocating for a single-class tournament believe that all individuals should go after a single championship for that state. Having multiple state champions takes away from the concept of "state champion" (emphasis on the singular). Individual wrestlers can be successful regardless of the size of the school for which they compete. Additional positive notes of a single-class event include the rigor associated with winning, placing, and/or qualifying in said tournament. To the contrary, those advocating for classed state tournaments believe that the size of school for which a wrestler competes does have impact on success. Generally speaking, this concept of success is defined on both the individual and team (program) levels. While individual success may be independent of school size, team success is clearly not independent. This is due to the "law of large numbers" and other related factors. In addition team success (as well as success for individuals on the team) tends create greater engagement towards the sport, and an increased ability for the sport to remain (or become) attractive and relevant within that school/community. To provide some perspective on the impact of single-class wrestling on the landscape of the sport within a given state, let's examine data from this past year's state tournament series in Indiana. As per the exhibit above, Indiana has a single-class state wrestling tournament. In addition, the quality of wrestling within the state is pretty good, as measured by the 12 wrestlers that were nationally ranked at the end of the 2013-14 high school season. In terms of state tournament series format, it is symmetrical. Sixteen wrestlers qualify to the state tournament in each weight class (224 in total). Four semi-state tournaments advance four wrestlers each to that event, and the 16 wrestlers that qualify to semi-state per weight class (896 in total) have advanced through two initial tournaments in the state series. There are over 300 high schools in the state of Indiana that sponsor high school wrestling. The below chart presents those schools based on the number of students enrolled. Information comes from here. The analysis in the two charts below is based on how each school fits into the four classifications used for the state basketball tournament. Of interest here is the extreme dominance of the biggest enrollment schools in terms of producing state qualifiers and semi-state qualifiers (the pool of wrestlers from which the state qualifiers are produced). To complement the above chart, the 74 largest enrollment schools that sponsor wrestling produced 113 (one more than half) of the state qualifiers; while the 89 largest enrollment schools that sponsor wrestling produced 413 (exactly half) of the semi-state qualifiers. Keep in mind that there are over 300 high schools in Indiana that sponsor wrestling. One other question meriting examination is exactly to what extent is performance correlated to enrollment. To do this, I created metric (though it is somewhat artificial) using all schools that sponsored wrestling in basketball classifications 4A, 3A, and 2A -- along with those 1A schools with a semi-state qualifier. For the enrollment side, the schools were ranked from highest to lowest enrollment; with the highest enrollment scoring 280 points, and the smallest 1 point. The performance aspect had two separate components, as well as the sum of those components. The first component was the number of state qualifiers, while the second component was the number of semi-state qualifiers. For each component, the tiebreaker was the ranking in the other component. It was scored on a 280-to-1 scale similar to enrollment. The sum of the components was also ordered on a 280-to-1 scale. For all three tests, the correlation coefficient between performance and enrollment was about 0.44. While it is not the strongest of correlations from a statistical standpoint, it does suggest that there is a degree of connectivity between wrestling program performance (as measured by state series success) and the size of the school. Based on the types of conclusions that the data above yield, as well as more subjective considerations, it is my belief that classed wrestling tournaments tend to serve a broad set of interests. Those would include the growth of the sport, as well as the engagement of stake-holders at various levels. The exception to this would be cases where the number of schools and/or the quality of the wrestling talent pool does not justify the presence of (multiple) classes. All that being said, there is some merit to arguments centering around the premise that having too many classes (for example, Virginia going from three to six for the 2013-14 season) can affirm the perceived "everyone gets a trophy" complex. It also can create a dynamic where winning a state title fails to carry the cache that one thinks it should. As with most topics discussed, there is no blanket answer. One should enter with an open mind and be willing to engage on multiple levels.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Incoming freshman wrestler and Pennsylvania standout Chance Marsteller was named the national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced today. The award is based on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. Marsteller was selected from the 49 state winners and five regional winners that were announced on May 6 by the NWHOF. Most recently named the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Wrestler of the Year by USAToday and Intermat's 2014 Wrestler of the Year, Marsteller is a four-time Pennsylvania high school state champion, winning the Outstanding Wrestler Award three times at the event. He put together a perfect 166-0 record while at Kennard-Dale High School. He claimed two-straight USA Wrestling Freestyle Cadet national titles after he won the 2011 Greco-Roman Cadet National Championship. He established the Pride Wrestling Club in his hometown to help train and coach wrestlers ages 8-18. He also volunteers as a coach with Kennard-Dale Youth Wrestling. He maintained a 3.33 GPA while at Kennard-Dale High School.

Rob Koll has built Cornell's wrestling program into a perennial national power. The Big Red finished in the top five at the NCAAs every year from 2009 to 2013, and had back-to-back NCAA runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2011. This past season Koll led the Big Red to a 13-1 dual meet record, a runner-up finish at the National Duals, an eighth straight EIWA title, and a seventh-place finish at the NCAAs in Oklahoma City. InterMat talks to the Cornell head wrestling coach about this past season and next season, recruiting class, Big Red wrestlers, Kyle Dake, NCAA championship proposal and more. This past season Cornell finished seventh at the NCAAs with three All-Americans and three wrestlers reaching the round of 12. You won your eighth consecutive EIWA title. You had a runner-up finish at the National Duals. Looking at the big picture, how did you and your staff feel about the program's performance this past season? Rob Koll and Kyle Dake coaching at the NCAAs in Oklahoma City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Koll: If you told us at the beginning of the year that those would be the results we would be jumping for joy. But you evaluate the season based on how you do at the national championships. Since our expectations going in were higher we were a little disappointed. We had four freshmen in the lineup. We had one senior. So we should have been thrilled, but the problem is the kids overachieved and got a little better quicker than we expected them to. It was just hard to be satisfied with taking seventh. We had six guys in the All-American round. Now in hindsight I go back and Rational Rob says, 'That was a great season.' Emotional Rob says, 'It could have been better.' So in order to quell my disappointment I look towards the future. Everybody's back. We have to replace Nevinger, but we already have a cast of characters in the room that can do that. We just have to worry about knocking off schools like Ohio State, Minnesota, and whoever else shows up. Looking at Mike Nevinger's college wrestling career, he was still a two-time All-American despite not placing as a senior. This past season he clearly wasn't healthy, which hindered his performance. When you recruited him, did you expect him to have the kind of career at Cornell that he had? Koll: We don't recruit backups ... so, yeah, we're looking for everyone to be successful. The problem is if you have 30 guys on the team, 20 of them at least are not going to reach their goals in a given year. When you're 17 or 18 years old everyone is going to be undefeated and a four-time national champion, so it's hard for those kids to reach their goals. But we also have somewhat realistic goals when we recruit kids. But as I said, we don't recruit backups. So we all expected Mike to be able to make the team. But he was a two-time All-American, and we feel if he would have been healthy would have been a three-time All-American. He looked great in the summer. He hurt his back early, and then tore his knee up at the Easterns, so he wasn't able to obviously achieve his goals. He was a two-time state champion, but the reason he wasn't a three-time state champion is because he had a guy named Kyle Dake in his weight class. So it wasn't like he didn't have a great high school wrestling career. He just didn't do a lot of freestyle, so he probably didn't get the accolades because of that. Nahshon Garrett was an NCAA runner-up this past season. He recently competed for Team USA at the Beat the Streets event. What's his ceiling in wrestling? Koll: Well, he didn't look good at Beat the Streets. We were in finals at Cornell and it wasn't conducive to training. Honestly, he didn't train. Or he would come in for a couple minutes, and then he would be gone because he had to get ready for his testing. So this was probably the worst time of the year to have him wrestle in that event, and yet he wanted to do it. Nahshon started wrestling in ninth grade, so if we look at his upward mobility ... His potential is limitless. He has a great style for freestyle. He's good on top. He's good on bottom. And obviously he's fantastic on his feet. He's just got one roadblock ... and that's Delgado. He's back. So we've got to figure out how to finish those singles and doubles. Chris Villalonga seemed to make a big jump in wrestling this past season. He went from 23-13 to 34-4. What do you attribute his improvement to? Chris Villalonga compiled a 34-4 record this past season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Koll: I know it's all confidence. It's just a matter of him believing in himself. The two years prior to this year he had a real rough stretch in December and January where he literally hit eight out of the top ten guys. Now this year he would have beaten those guys. But he didn't have the confidence last year and the year before, and he ends up losing 5, 6, 7 matches in a row. Just didn't believe in himself. This year he had a little easier schedule, got a couple wins under his belt before he hit the real tough stuff, and by the time he had some tough matches he was able to pull those out and just build upon himself. By the end of the year he felt like he was unbeatable and looked great. He got a little careless at nationals against Sakaguchi, and ends up getting pinned. He didn't wrestle a smart match. Then he came back and had Grajales, who was hot in the wrestlebacks. So Chris could have just as easily been in the finals and been the champion, if not placing, and that's what nationals are all about. We tell guys every year, 'Don't think there's next year because there might not be a next year.' In Chris' case we're telling him, 'Hey, we got next year.' He's back again. You throw in Nahshon Garrett at 125, Mark Grey at 133, to be announced at 141, Brian Realubto at 157 ... He's getting knee surgery this week. He should be back full strength by second semester, if not sooner. We felt like he could have won it this year if he hadn't torn up his knee in the semifinals. Dylan Palacio at 165. He was a couple seconds away from placing. We'll see what happens at 174. We're not sure who is going to be there, but we'll have somebody great. Then of course Gabe Dean at 184. Jace Bennet, who is right there, at 197. And then whoever we have at heavyweight. Jacob Aiken-Phillips had a really strong year. We don't have a lot of holes. I feel like we'll have the best dual meet team we've ever had. If we can get All-American-caliber kids at 141, 174 and heavyweight, there's really not a weight where we can't place. The success of Gabe Dean came as a surprise to many this season after he struggled in open tournament competition the previous season. When did you realize that he could be a major point-scorer in Oklahoma City? Gabe Dean's lone loss at the NCAAs came to Ed Ruth (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Koll: He got better every tournament we saw him wrestle in last year. Then in the summer he placed at the Junior World Team Trials, and he had never wrestled freestyle up to that point in his life. Then in the fall I remember wrestling him one day and going, 'Oh my God. I just can't believe how good he is.' He put me into retirement. He and a couple other guys. I'm 48 years old ... I probably shouldn't be wrestling anyway, but it made it easier to retire after trying to go in there and spar with Gabe. It was no secret ... We could tell in the fall when he was dominating very, very good wrestlers that he could place high. We didn't know if he could win it or not because you had Ed Ruth there, but we certainly felt like he had the ability to be right there in the top three. Alex Cisneros was one of the nation's top recruits coming of high school. He has not been able to break into your lineup to this point. How is his development coming along? Koll: He grayshirted two years ago, and last year he actually took a semester off from school, so he's going to be coming back as a freshman. So assuming he can make the weight, 141, I expect him to be on the podium. He's that good. But he's got to get a little leaner and stay focused for the whole year. Assuming he can do those two things, there's really not anybody he can't beat. Kyle Dake obviously made his mark on your program as a competitor. Now he's on your coaching staff, but still competing. What's he like as a coach? Koll: He's incredibly intense. I'm not a guy who is going to be barking a lot in the corner ... I try to do it in practice. Kyle is over the top, and I usually don't like it. But his enthusiasm is so sincere and so intense that it's contagious. It's obviously great having him on our roster because people want to be here. But in the room he's fantastic and of course mat-side he's very inspiring as well. When you were competing on the international scene, your weight class, 74 kilos, was one of the toughest in the U.S. You were in a weight class with Dave Schultz and Kenny Monday. Now 74 kilos in the U.S. is arguably the toughest with Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, and Davis Taylor. How much is that domestic competition going to help push those three wrestlers to higher levels? Koll: I don't know how much it has to at this point. You have a World and Olympic champion, so it's not as if he has to get much better to be competitive at the world level. It's certainly going to help Kyle and David, and of course Howe. It can help. It can hurt. It could certainly help if they can make the team. But it's not going to help them if they can't make the team. I think a lot of the development comes in being in those big matches at the World Championships and the Olympics. Those are the kind of experiences that you can't duplicate in practice. It's not as if these guys aren't incredibly intrinsically motivated to start with, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are right now. So is it going to help them? They're not practicing together, so I don't know if that's going to be a benefit. Two of the three aren't going to get the competition. So I don't think it's necessarily good for development. You signed the nation's No. 3 recruiting class. It includes six top 100 recruits. What do you like about your recruiting class? Jon Jay Chavez is one of six top 100 recruits Cornell signed (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Koll: It covers almost every weight class. We've got a couple recruits who are not mentioned in that top 100 who I think are outstanding. Time will tell if it's the third best, first best or 20th best. Everyone looks good out of high school winning state championships and having grandiose records. But at the end of the day the ones who succeed in college are the ones who can manage the daily grind, and a lot of them can't. We've been very fortunate in my 25 years at Cornell. We haven't had a transfer and people don't leave our team. So when we bring in nine guys, we graduate nine guys. Whereas at a lot of other schools you have nine guys come in, and by the end of their career you will see three guys graduate. That's one of the keys to our success ... the continuity and consistency of the kinds of kids we bring in. We might not always have the No. 1s, but we have kids who are No. 1 in the classroom and society, and they don't tend to go whirlybird on you and end up in street clothes during wrestling practice. When you don't have guys leaving your team, even if they're not the very best as freshmen, by the time they're juniors and seniors they're going to be better than ninety percent of those guys. So every year we're replacing great kids with kids who were in the room already. Every year we have a kid no one has heard about who steps in and if he's not an All-American, he's close to it, and I don't think this year will be any different. You have had freshmen perform exceptionally well in your program over the years. This past season alone you had four freshmen earn seeds at the NCAAs. Looking at next year's group of freshmen, do you expect any to immediately contend for a spot in the lineup? Koll: Normally I would say yes, but we have so few holes that it's going to be tough for any freshman to step in. We'll see. We have Jake Taylor anywhere from 174 to 197 who will be a freshman this year. He's outstanding. He had a great grayshirt year. So he certainly has the ability to do some damage if he can make the team. But you've got Jace Bennett at 197, Gabe Dean at 184, and a plethora of talented kids at 174. So I don't think this is the year we'll have as many freshmen in the lineup because we have so many young kids returning. You return a tremendous lineup next season and on paper you are expected to be in the mix for a national title. Obviously, Penn State is losing David Taylor and Ed Ruth. Ohio State has some talented wrestlers stepping in the lineup. Other programs return a lot. Obviously, we're still almost six months away from the start of competition, but do you look at the team race as being wide open in 2015? Koll: Well, it's certainly more wide open than in the past. Penn State doesn't just lose two national champions. They lose two national champions that pin about everybody they wrestle, so in essence they have a third national champion because of those two. I'm very thankful they're gone. But you've got schools like Oklahoma State and Minnesota that are also on the horizon. People tend not to talk about Cornell as being one of the schools in the mix. They always talk about schools like Ohio State. It seems like everybody talks about Big Ten schools and Big 12 schools. I would love it if people really start consistently mentioning Cornell. Even if they don't know of all of our guys, they know that we're going to have some guys nobody knows who will be All-American-caliber kids. That's really the key for us this year. We've got a find a 141, 174 and heavyweight. We're not going to go find one on the street right now. In the room we need to make sure we can manufacture some All-Americans in those three weight classes if we want to have a realistic shot at winning it. We do have some guys who can put big points on the board. Nahshon and Dean, if not favored to win it, they're right there, and they're also big point-scorers. So hopefully we can not just have a couple national champions, but those guys will put some pins on the board. Realbuto is a big pinner. He's another guy who should be ranked in the top four in the country. You get two or three national champions you're going to be a contender and then it's just a matter of what your supporting cast of characters are doing. You're going to have a couple teams fall off the board and you're going to have some teams that you don't expect putting points on the board. I think it's going to take six or seven All-Americans to win it. The 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. What do you think that event will do for wrestling? Koll: At Beats the Streets there was an amazing amount of excitement. It's a great place to have a sporting event. It's going to draw a lot of non-wrestling fans to the event. When we had nationals in Philadelphia we sold almost 1,400 tickets. These are Cornell people. At Madison Square Garden if we could get 3,000 tickets we would sell 3,000 tickets. So I think it's great to get it out of the Midwest. Those guys always get to go to the tournament. Of course, we're going to have ten times as much media accessibility at Madison Square Garden compared to what we had in Oklahoma City. Earlier this year the Division I Wrestling Committee released a recommendation that the championships include a team component and an individual component. Where do you stand on that recommendation? Kyle Dake hugs his coach Rob Koll after winning his fourth NCAA title in four weight classes (Photo/Larry Slater)Koll: I'm not opposed to the recommendation, but I don't want it to be the deciding factor. If you're going to have that, make it 10 points for the champion, 9.5 for second, 9 for third, 8.5 for fourth. So OK you go in with a half-point lead, but at least it makes the National Duals relevant. It makes them important. Nobody would not go to them. People would want to host them. Those who have not been supportive would be doing it. I do think when you throw the NCAA banner on any championship event, it makes it more important. If we play Syracuse in lacrosse and it's the NCAA championship quarterfinals, we'll have five or six-thousand people there. If we play them on a regular day, we'll have a thousand. I think if you look at anything that has NCAA ramifications it just adds a certain element of excitement. We need to have the NCAA's organizational structure behind us, and the media behind us. It would certainly be much more likely that a major TV network would follow, whether it's Big Ten Network, ESPN or whatever, and cover it more thoroughly.

Tony Ramos won an NCAA title at 133 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) When you think about the sport of wrestling and the never-say-die attitude, you think of Iowa's three-time All-American and NCAA champion Tony Ramos. His incredible work ethic, his signature stare down, and his perseverance through very tough times have made him a fan favorite, not only in Iowa, but throughout the United States. With grit and determination Ramos will continue to compete and try and win World and Olympic title, starting with this year's World Team trials at 57 kilos. And, he will have some additional support, from X-Cel Worldwide. X-Cel Worldwide has made a commitment to work with wrestlers and support them with their business affairs off the mat and has quickly become a company that can produce for their athletes. Last year X-Cel signed one of the biggest wrestling names in the United States, four-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner Kyle Dake. Dake, a history maker who won four NCAA titles in four separate weight classes and being named, Sports Illustrated's Male Athlete of the Year, was a big signing for X-Cel. This week X-Cel made another significant move by signing Ramos to its roster, who now joins Dake, U.S. and World champion Adeline Gray, and five-time U.S. Open champion and World silver medalist Helen Maroulis. "We are thrilled to have Tony Ramos join the X-Cel team and we believe that it's about quality, not quantity. We feel Tony has huge market appeal to the wrestling fans, but more importantly he appeals to the sports fan in general," said Nick Garone. "Having Kyle, Adeline, Helen and now Tony on the same team balances us out and we are excited about having all of them together under one company to help them with their business affairs off the mat," added Garone. "I know Nick can help me and make sure that I can concentrate on training while he handles all of my off-the-mat business. I'm extremely excited to be together with a legend like Kyle Dake and Helen and Adeline, who are right in the mix for World and Olympic gold," said Ramos. "Our team is strong and I want to be with all of them in Rio in 2016, while Nick handles all of our marketing and endorsements," added Ramos.

Joey Davis of Notre Dame College has compiled a perfect 72-0 record over his first two seasons as a college wrestler. As a freshman, Davis won the NCAA Division II title at 165 pounds. This past season he moved up to 174 pounds, posted a 39-0 record and captured his second NCAA Division II title. He also helped lead Notre Dame College to its first NCAA team championship in any sport. InterMat recently caught up with the 20-year-old from Compton, California. Joey Davis has compiled a record of 72-0 over his first two seasons (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)You're now halfway through an undefeated college wrestling career. Was being an undefeated four-time national champion a specific goal for you when you started your college wrestling career in 2012? Davis: No, I think it just developed over time. It was not my goal at all. I didn't know how I was going to do. I was really nervous coming into my freshman year of college. You know how it is ... You wrestle against the older guys. You don't know what your strengths are. You don't know how you're doing to do out of high school. So I just worked really hard the summer after my senior year. I had a lot of upperclassmen who got me stronger and got my mental toughness up to the point where it didn't matter who I had to wrestle. Once I got there, as a 19-year-old freshman, I thought I fit in well and could do really well. As a freshman your team finished third at the NCAAs. This past season your team won the NCAA title. How gratifying was it for you to have your team also win a national title? Davis: It was really a great experience. In high school we had a good team, but not like this. Being on a team with four national champions -- and we're all like brothers -- it has been great. We always knew we had the best team in Division II. Winning the national title as a team didn't finally hit me until now. Joey Davis won two state championships at Santa Fe High School (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Your coach Frank Romano has been a successful wrestling coach at the college level and high school level. What's it like wrestling for Coach Romano? Davis: It's a blessing. I feel like Coach Romano is one of the greatest coaches. He has been in the game a long time. To be under his wing and learn from him is a tremendous honor. I learn a lot from him, not just wrestling-wise, but life-wise. I want to be where he is one day. He loves kids. He would do anything for us. You were honored by the NCAA this past season as the most dominant wrestler in Division II, averaging 4.42 team points per match. What does that award mean to you? Davis: It wasn't that big to me. As long as I won my matches, that's what mattered. Winning the most dominant wrestler award just showed that I worked really hard. I just try to score as many points as I can so the matches aren't close. Three NCAA champions return next season for Notre Dame College. The program has also signed some top high school wrestling recruits. How excited are you about the future of Notre Dame College wrestling? Davis: I don't have the words to describe how excited I am about the future. We're trying to do something big. We want to take over. Next year we have the team to do it. We've got some heat coming. I'm telling you, it's going to be another great season. We're just going to keep the ball rolling. It's a new program. Before people didn't really know about Notre Dame College. Now everybody knows that we can compete anywhere. Joey Davis excelled on the football fieldYou were a successful football player at Santa Fe High School. Do you miss football? Davis: I was just talking about that yesterday. I miss football a lot. I hang out with friends in the summer, and they're all football players from my high school. We talk about it all the time. Yes, I miss football. Actually, I'm playing this summer. They have summer leagues where I'm from in California, like flag football, so I play just to keep in shape. This year I'm going to take a little break from wrestling, just practice a few times a week. I worked really hard, and I feel like I deserve a break to have some fun. I play football and basketball for my workouts. You have known the rapper Snoop Dogg since you were young. He even gave you your nickname Iceman. How would you describe Snoop Dogg to people who have never met him? Davis: He's the coolest dude you could ever meet. He's very laid back. He's very into sports and very into the kids. He would do anything for the kids. That's why he made the Snoop Dogg youth football league for the inner-city kids. Coach Snoop is amazing. He's like another Coach Romano. Everybody wanted to be under his wing. Shout out to Coach Snoop. It was a blessing to play for him all those years. Last year you competed at the FILA Junior World Team Trials in freestyle and failed to place in the top four. What did you take away from that experience? Davis: I felt like my first match there I got robbed. I lost to Jordan Rogers from Oklahoma State. Everybody knows I won that match. That match I knew I won, so I wasn't upset. Then I won two in a row, and then I lost to him again. It was a last-minute decision to go to the tournament. I just wanted to see where I was as a freshman. Maybe it was a couple little mistakes that I made. But I also bumped up. I wrestled at 165 during the college season, and then bumped up to 185 for that tournament. I weighed in at 176. I didn't want to make the cut to 163 for that tournament. I really wanted to go this year, but I'm going to be on vacation. Joey Davis with Aaron PicoYou were on a club team with Aaron Pico. Were you surprised by Pico's decision to forgo high school and college wrestling to wrestle freestyle exclusively? Davis: No. When he was making his decision he was talking to me about it. He was just saying that he already won a state title and had that experience, so why not wrestle against the best of the best and compete for an Olympic title. It made perfect sense to me. He's still going to school, taking online classes. I think it's a great decision for him. He's doing so well for himself. He's one of my good friends, so I don't want to see him get hurt or burnt out, but his mindset is so cool. He's just so mentally tough. I've never met a 17-year-old like that. He loves to train. His dad is not one of those dads that makes him train or yells at him. He's not like that at all. He has a good thing going right now. I'm really proud of Aaron. You have trained with Jordan Burroughs. How has he helped you? Davis: I started wrestling with Jordan when I was a senior in high school. I was on a recruiting trip. I thought I was hot stuff, and he beat the crap out of me. Then last year after I won nationals I thought I could get him, and he beat the crap out of me. He just keeps putting me in my place. I'm just getting better and better every time I wrestle with him. So hopefully this year if I train with him it will be a different story because I'm way bigger than JB now. I'm like 185 right now. He's like 170, so hopefully I'll give him a run for his money now. The Olympic weight classes are 74 kilos, which is 163 pounds, and 86 kilos, which is 189 pounds. You competed this past season in college at 174 pounds, which is in between those two Olympic weight classes. What weight class do you expect to compete in as a freestyle wrestler if you make an Olympic run? Davis: 189 probably. I don't think I could ever make 163, even though I'm not big now. I'm like 5'11" and weigh 185, but I feel like as I keep growing I'll fit into the 189-pound weight class pretty well. I'll hit the weight room. I want to fight too. I'm 5-0 in amateur fights. So I've been training for that. My uncle is Antonio McKee, who trains Rampage. I just left Rampage yesterday. I met his boxing coaches. I'm going to be taking a boxing class. So I might not even wrestle after college. I might just go right into my coaching career, and then fight. I have some options. I'm just training, training, training, and enjoying my life. But if I do train for the Olympics it will be at 189, not 163. A young Joey Davis with Quinton "Rampage" JacksonWho are some of your favorite fighters? Davis: I love Jose Aldo. I love Urijah Faber. I love Rampage. Those are probably my favorites. I love my uncle Antonio McKee ... Just that type of style, takedown, brutal on top, and can hit hard. I feel like I'm one of those kind of dudes. I'm very athletic. I grew up fighting my whole life. I come from Compton. So when it comes to MMA, I just love it. I love the grind. I love punching. I love taking people down. I love slamming. It's just different from wrestling. You get a different kind of antsiness in you. In wrestling they can't hurt you unless you get in a certain position. In MMA it's like this dude is really trying to hurt you. I love that antsiness. I love that grind. I fight nothing like Jose Aldo, but he's one of my favorite MMA fighters that I would try to be like with his kicks and punches. You have talked about how much you enjoy being at Notre Dame College and are excited about the future. However, because of how much you have dominated your competition in Division II, many wonder whether you will be transferring to a Division I program. Do you plan to stay at Notre Dame College? Davis: As of right now I'm staying. I love everything about the Notre Dame program. I love the coaches. I'm treated how I'm supposed to be treated. They take care of me. School is going well. The teachers know me, but they're hard on me. I feel like a regular kid. They don't give me any kind of special treatment. Right now I'm staying. But I'm going to take some trips -- not necessarily recruiting trips -- but more just trips to train and see how it is. If I'm not liking what I see I probably won't even be interested. I'm just going to get some good training partners and train with the best in the world. Joey Davis celebrates after winning his second NCAA title (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Do you get tired of having to answer the Division I question? Davis: No, I don't really get tired of it. I understand. A lot of people think I can be in the top four in Division I and want to see if I would be ... I want to see too. I was supposed to be in the All-Star match and wrestle David Taylor, but I couldn't make 165. I wanted to see if we could wrestle at like 170 or something, and they said no. I asked to wrestle Chris Perry. John Smith said no. I asked to wrestle Mike Evans. Tom Brands said no. Everybody was saying no to my coach. So this year I'm supposed to be in the All-Star match at 174. Is there a particular opponent you would like to face at the All-Star Classic? Davis: I want to wrestle Matt Brown of Penn State. I want wrestle against Cael. I wrestle Robert Kokesh all the time in practice. I have wrestled with Logan Storley. He came to California. He's tough. But I want to wrestle Penn State. I want to go against Cael. That's what I want to do. Northwestern coach Drew Pariano has stated that he would love to have you compete at the Midlands. Will we see you at the Midlands next season? Davis: I don't know. I just hate tournaments during my time of break. December at our school is a time to relax and chill because we grind so hard during the other months. I come home around December 13 and my birthday is December 29, so then I go back right after my birthday. I would love to compete at Midlands, but I'm not about to be the only one from my team to go. I feel like college is about your team. I just do whatever my coaches tell me. I don't really tell my coaches where I want to go. If he wants to take me to Midlands then he'll talk to me about it, and I'm down to wrestle anybody. I'm not scared to compete against anybody. I have always wanted to go to Midlands. That tournament has so much history. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Joey. Is there anything else you want people to know about you? Davis: I love God. He's doing a lot for me and I'm blessed.

On Wednesday, the New York-based non-profit Beat the Streets raised a record $1.6 million in funds for their citywide wrestling programs. That's big money, but in addition to ensuring more mats, programs and coaches, the organization increased awareness for the sport through its USA vs. The World dual meet broadcast on NBCSN. When it comes to wrestling non-profits few have competed with BTS in terms of dollars and awareness raised. That's not a coincidence. In addition to hardworking staff, the largest financial supporters for BTS rank among the wealthiest individuals in the United States and the world. These donors have massive influence and deep pockets, which means their chosen charity can bring in phenomenal amounts of money and, like we saw this week, put on marquee events in Times Square. One night and one very big million-dollar spectacle. Events like BTS in Times Square, and last year's Rumble on the Rails and United for Wrestling are showcases put on for larger causes by some of the wealthiest and brightest wrestling fans in the world. Fantastic as the events are they obviously are not financially solvent and most take on, for the event itself, major financial losses. The locations, the cost to put them on the air and the unique atmosphere all equate to a rare moment that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce. Despite losses, and in fact because they end up a net gain for the wrestling community through charitable giving, these events (and the NCAA tournament) are now the standard-bearers for the production of a high-level wrestling event. In total that's good. The sport should stay focused on improving the product. However, we should also recognize that other events around the world aren't being assisted in their production, and that others are not always as fortunate as us. FILA, where I work as the managing editor for the website and cover top events, lends their name to about 15 brand-level events each year from the World Cups to World Championships, Continental Championships and the Golden Grand Prix Series. Some are on par with Beat the Streets, others are competitive, and still others could use some work. One of the major differences between events is size and economic model. FILA is a non-profit without a single generous donor putting single events to raise cash -- most of their money, like all International Federations, comes from their partnership with the International Olympic Committee. That means that local organizing committees are asked to bear some financial burden when preparing for the brand-name tournaments. Often times events are chosen to take place in smaller, lesser-traveled cities because they can be hosted at low cost to wrestling federations and at significant gain to the local economies. For example, traveling to Zrenjanin, Serbia and Snina, Slovakia for back-to-back Cadet World Championships might seem out of the way, but capturing these audiences helps build media attention for the sport around the world. They're well-attended, well-reported and generally very well-done events. In a way these locations and these events might not sparkle like Times Square or electrify like Los Angeles, but in putting events in smaller cities (despite their problems) the wrestlers and the fans will benefit at-large. We know that wrestling has always been and will always be a blue collar activity. No matter where you go on the planet, or when you travel through time, the sport lives in the countryside. Flash bulbs and media coverage are important to making wrestling a "mainstream" sport, but fans will always flock to the thirty-foot circle. They did it 5000 years ago and they do it today. It's important to keep in mind that the richest and most powerful men in wrestling, from the richest and most powerful country in the world, encountered problems putting on a single dual meet. Remembering that fact when over the next five months of the international wrestling season the local committees of third world countries battle for Internet connectivity. The host countries and the FILA staff on the ground will be trying their best for six days at a time in new countries, with new language, new challenges and new obstacles. Still, it will happen. Maybe not all at once, and maybe slower than we would all like, but it is happening. Be humble in your expectations of these other countries. They are trying, and though they don't have Times Square and billions of dollars, each is trying their best to show you the sport that you love. To your questions ... Q: I have to give you credit, Foley. You were right all along about Henry Cejudo. He just backed out of another MMA fight. This is after he didn't show up for weigh-ins in two previous fights, and came in overweight in his last fight. I would love to see a motivated Cejudo leave his ego behind, put on the work boots, and make another run at Olympic gold in Rio. He is still only 27 years old! Has that ship sailed? -- Mike C. Foley: Thanks for the compliment. I'm kinda tickled. Henry Cejudo fell short of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic team (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)There are a good number of MMA and wrestling fans who have had their fill of the Henry Cejudo song-and-dance. I'm forever impressed by his Olympic performance, but what happened in a day six years ago in Beijing has become Cejudo's life. He still has talents to explore and a life to be lived, but instead he chooses a strange path of least resistance. MMA is no joke. Guys will hurt you if you come in ill-prepared. Cejudo has all the talent to become a top-level fighter, but he seemed to favor a path with fewer obstacles. He's now spent more time talking about his achievements in Beijing than he ever did training specifically for them. It's time to move forward and drop the celebrity posturing. The world loves a struggle, not a six-year victory lap. Come back to hard work, Henry. Come back to a sense of modesty and community. Come back to normal. Q: How important is an NCAA title towards international success? Do we in the U.S. bring up individual NCAA championships (freestyle in particular) just for promotion purposes? Because the collegiate style is really different from both international styles so do other countries care? Are there equivalent University Nationals championships in other countries and do they have NCAA Division I type of big events? -- Marcus R. Foley: In my experience about 30 percent of wrestlers I meet from around the world know about the NCAA and American folkstyle wrestling. Maybe a tenth of those have any interest in discussing its merits, or have any gauge for what makes one successful or not. Every nation has something equivalent to the NCAA tournament, though the styles are dramatically different. Still, just like most wrestling fans don't follow traditional oil wrestling in Turkey, schwingen in Switzerland or Bukh in Mongolia, foreigners don't follow collegiate wrestling closely. Thus, the accomplishments made on the mat in America don't typically translate to fear or respect among international competition. In most cases the foreign wrestlers I meet only care about what was accomplished at continental and World championships -- maybe an open tournament or two. Q: As someone who just recently started really watching international competition I have noticed the action and offensive ingenuity is miles ahead of the current state of collegiate wrestling. While some American wrestlers have developed unique offensive styles (JB and DT in particular) most are stale, often relying on a select few techniques and stout defenses to succeed. I feel that collegiate wrestling pigeon holes American wrestlers into a formula for NCAA success that hinders the U.S. internationally. What are your thoughts on this subject? -- Nick S. Foley: Offensive ingenuity ... well stated NCAA wrestling promotes a style of wresting that is either so strict as to be reductive at the next level with boxy motions and over-focus on head snaps. Or NCAA wrestling promotes rolling around which if not tightened up at the next level can result in serious points. Collegiate wrestling is holding back some of our better wrestlers from international success. Regardless of how well they complement each other, freestyle and folkstyle take time to seep into your bones. Wrestlers need time to change their reactions and create points from positions that might not have been opportunistic at the NCAA level, but might be at the international level. Having seen Ed Ruth at the U.S. Open and BTS event, I saw that growth. The change is seeping into his bones. He's getting it. More time in the room, more time in matches and no focus on collegiate wrestling. He's getting the hang of how to score and creating more opportunities. I wrote last week that he probably wouldn't threaten this year, but now I think he's my choice to challenge Keith Gavin in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Brent Metcalf vs. Magomed Kurbanaliev UFC president Dana White at Beat the Streets event in NYC Link: Muslim wrestling keeps beard, NCAA DOESN'T SCREW UP! Link: Anthony Bourdain goes to Punjab, discovers Kushti Q: I thought Clarissa Chun wrestled well at the U.S. Open despite losing to Victoria Anthony in the semifinals. Then Alyssa Lampe thumped Anthony in the finals! That was impressive! 48 kilos in women's freestyle wrestling is going to be a really interesting weight class in the U.S. over the next two years! Chun hadn't competed much since the Olympics in 2012, so I'm hopeful she can get back to the form that made her a World champion and Olympic medalist. Do you think Chun can get past Lampe and Anthony and get on the Olympic team in 2016? -- Mike C. Clarissa Chun lost to Victoria Anthony in the semifinals of the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: I don't know that Clarissa will be able to hang with this new class of 48-kilo competition. Though she looked awesome until the headlock, Chun still did get headlocked by Victoria Anthony, who wrestling up a weight class was THIS close to being in the World finals. Anthony was wrestling up because Lampe has had her number for the past few years. As we have seen from Lampe this year, she's more engaged as a competitor and whatever lingering doubts she might have had about her ability are starting to fade. She's a born killer and that's starting to show. Chun is not out of the mix for 2016. But she is, in my estimation, the No. 3 wrestler at 48 kilos. Q: The recent Dave Shultz High School Excellence winners were announced. The Alabama winner, Brandon Womack, is a six-time Alabama state champion, capturing the Most Outstanding Wrestler honor five times. While at Scottsboro High School, Womack compiled a 422-8 record. Granted Alabama is one of a few states where you can wrestle for state championships in the seventh and eighth grade, and Womack did this over six years compared to most kids who only have four years to amass a win-loss record. Do you think this is too much, too many matches for a high school kid? Do you think it is bad or good for the sport? Why? Should seventh and eighth-graders be allowed to wrestle high school seniors? -- Frank S. Foley: I'm not sure I know what's best for any state or any individual wrestler, but 430 matches in six years is more than I've competed in 14 years. Fact. That much wrestling can be harmful, especially if you're cutting weight, not getting enough sleep, or wrestling against tough top-notch competitors. It seems like Womack made it through OK and in doing so did something unique for the state of Alabama -- a place where wrestling could use some good publicity. Too much wrestling? Almost certainly. Good for Alabama wrestling? Yes.

J'den Cox celebrates after winning the NCAA title (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) J'den Cox captured the NCAA title at 197 pounds this past season, becoming Missouri's youngest national champion. He finished the season with a 38-2 record. InterMat recently caught up with the 19-year-old from Columbia, Missouri. How has your life changed, if at all, since winning an NCAA title a month and a half ago? Cox: It hasn't. It's not a life-changing event. It's just an event in itself. It's just back to work. Nothing has changed. J'den Cox with Sammie Henson (Photo/Larry Slater)Do more people recognize you on campus now that you're an NCAA champion? Cox: They do. But that doesn't really do anything for me. It's great, but I'm past it. It was good for a week or so, but then it was time to get back on the horse. Describe the decision process for you wrestling as a true freshman as opposed to redshirting. Cox: I don't really know how the process went down because I wasn't a part of that. I didn't make the call. I knew it was a possibility, but I didn't know it was being talked over as much. One day Coach pulled me aside and was just like, "We want you to go 197." I was like, "OK." I thought he was going to tell me to go heavyweight. He told me that I'm going to go 197 and that I'm going to win it there. Going from high school wrestling to college wrestling can be a tough transition for many athletes. You made it look easy. How were you able to transition from high school wrestling to college wrestling so smoothly? Cox: Well, one thing about this sport is that nothing is easy. No matter how it looks, it's never easy. I had a great team surrounding me and great coaches, and I had people in my life that were very supportive. It made me want to do my best and do things that people thought I couldn't. It encouraged me and that carried me a long ways. My teammates and coaches helped bring out the best in me. I think that's what showed on the mat. You had faced some of the top 197-pounders during the season, including Phil Wellington and Kyven Gadson. Was there much film study or match planning going into the NCAA tournament? Cox: No, not really. I don't like watching the [first] Phil Wellington match. It rubs me the wrong way. But I have watched it probably about four or five times. That's about the same amount of times I watched the Kyven Gadson match. But going into nationals I didn't watch much. I wasn't too worried about them. That's not any disrespect to them at all, but I was focused on what I had to do. I couldn't focus on anyone else. Like I said throughout the second half of the season, if I don't take care of what I need to do, nothing else will matter. J'den Cox rides Nick Heflin in the NCAA finals (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)What was your match strategy in your NCAA finals match against Nick Heflin? Cox: Basically attack. Don't let him try to slow me down, just keep attacking and put more than one attack together. I have watched the match, and that's what I feel like I did, and that's why the match turned out how it did. I got a stalling call, and then got another one, and then I got up by one and took the match from there. Describe the emotions you felt when your hand was raised after winning your NCAA title. Cox: It was a great feeling. There aren't really words you can put to it. The biggest thing is to know that everything was worth it. I don't know what walking into heaven is like, but that's what I compare it to. One day I hope to go there and then I'm going to walk in and know that going through life was worth it, and you remember everything, everything is the way it is and you made it. It's kind of like that. That's how I think about it. At that moment everything was in my head, all the training, all the stuff we did. At the time thinking, 'Why are we doing this?' Then after feeling what I felt, you realize there's a reason behind this madness that we go through every day. Next season you will have a target on your back as the NCAA champion. Do you expect that opponents will wrestle you differently next season? Cox: I'm not really worried about it. I just have to wrestle how I do. I feel like people will study me and try to figure things out, but I'm also going to excel. I'm not done ... and I don't plan on being done. I believe with that attitude, and with the attitude of my teammates, which is the same, we know we want more. No matter where we get to, we want to keep going. I feel like with that attitude in this room that there's no choice but for anyone in our wrestling room to get better. Do you plan to compete at 197 pounds next season? Cox: Yes, I'm staying at 197 pounds next season. Is there a chance you could be a heavyweight down the road? Cox: I'm not sure about that at this point. I'm not going to say it's not a possibility. J'den Cox holds up a stop sign after winning a Junior National freestyle title in 2012 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)You have been successful on the national level in all three styles of wrestling. Do you have any plans to wrestle freestyle this year? Cox: I'll be wrestling at University Nationals. I know that I'm going to a couple other big tournaments. I have to clear things with Coach Smith and Coach Henson. I'm doing a lot of camps this summer, which is something I want to do. I want to give back to others in the sport. I am training for freestyle, so we'll see. Do you favor one style over another? Cox: My favorite is folkstyle. In freestyle, with all the rules, like you can't roll across your back, it limits the wrestling a little bit. It does make you have to wrestle smarter, which is very cool. In folkstyle you can really explore it a lot more and do a lot more amazing things. In freestyle you can do that, but you're also kind of limited. There's only so far you can go before it's hurting you more so than it's helping you. But I don't mind either way. I just enjoy wrestling. You have had some battles with Junior World champion Kyle Snyder in the past. He has stated that he's looking forward to wrestling you. Is that a matchup you're looking forward to as well? Cox: I don't look forward to it because it's not right here in front of me. It's not something I need to worry about right now. Whenever that week comes then we'll look at it. I actually find pleasure in wrestling Kyle. That's why I faced him. That's why I came back to Fargo just to wrestle him. I know people are looking forward to this matchup, but like I said, I'm not focused on him. When I wrestle I wrestle for me. I don't care about what everybody else wants or thinks. I wrestle because I love to do it. If he's going to step on the mat then we're going to wrestle. But I'm not thinking about it. Whenever that time comes, it comes. When Kyle Snyder became a Junior World champion last summer did it give you more confidence in your abilities since you had beaten him? Cox: Actually, I didn't know he was a World champion until Willie Miklus told me. Nothing really came of it. Congratulations to him. That's an amazing accomplishment. But that doesn't do anything for me. There's nothing that I get out of that. It wasn't me on the mat. It was him. Kyle has done great things and he's excelled in wrestling. I think even he will tell you the same as I do, that he loves to do the sport, and I think that's why he does it, and he plans to be great, just as I do, and when we meet it will make for an even more interesting match. J'den Cox defeated Chris Penny in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)What are your long-term goals in wrestling? Cox: I definitely want to go to the Olympics and become one of the best there ever was. I want my name to pop up in people's heads when they think about wrestling. I don't see a point in doing something without loving it and pushing yourself to be the best. That's my goal. That has been my goal since I was a little kid. Some former Missouri Tiger wrestlers like Ben Askren, Michael Chandler, and Tyron Woodley are successful MMA fighters. Is MMA a career you would ever consider down the road? Cox: I don't know yet. I'm in the transition stage. I don't know what I'm going to do at all. I just know what I'm about to do.

At this weekend's UFC offering, Costa Philippou is taking on Lorenz Larkin in a co-main event. But don't let that deter you from checking out the card. Erik Silva, on paper, should take out Matt Brown in the main event, but Silva never makes things easy for himself. And former featherweight contender Erik Koch is making his lightweight debut against Daron Cruickshank. So if you're curious and have access to FOX Sports 1, Richard and John have you covered. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

UFC president Dana White took in the Beat the Streets event in Times Square.

Dana White, Rich Bender, Mike Novogratz, and Kyle Dake take in the event (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) NEW YORK -- Brent Metcalf ignited Team USA on Wednesday at the Beat the Streets event in Times Square as the Americans defeated the World All-Stars, 8-3. Brent Metcalf defeated world No. 1 Magomed Kurbanaliev (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) With the dual meet score tied 2-2, Metcalf, a U.S. Open champion, toppled world No. 1 Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia, 11-8, at 65 kilos, to put Team USA on top. It was Metcalf's second straight victory over Kurbanaliev. Metcalf started strong, scoring with a takedown and gut wrench to lead 4-0 in the first 30 seconds. But Kurbanaliev, a World bronze medalist, battled back with two takedowns to tie the match at 4-4. Metcalf retook the lead, 6-4, with a takedown, which is how the first period would end. Kurbanaliev came out with a four-point move to grab the lead 8-6. Metcalf, though, would respond with a takedown and gut wrench to grab a 10-8 lead. He would add a late pushout to give him a three-point victory. Team USA picked up key wins from Penn State seniors David Taylor (74 kilos) and Ed Ruth (86 kilos). Both defeated established World-level wrestlers. Taylor, a U.S. Open runner-up, blanked two-time World bronze medalist Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan, 6-0, at 74 kilos. He led 2-0 after the opening period and broke it open in the second period with two takedowns. Ruth dominated Spain's Taymuraz Friev, picking up a 10-0 technical fall. He was offensive throughout and racked up eight points in the first period, and then closed out the match with a takedown off a slide-by in the second period. Friev placed fifth at the World Championships last year. The dual meet started with George Vangelov of Bulgaria edging Cornell wrestler Nahshon Garrett, 5-4. Vangelov scored first with a pushout. Garrett came back with two takedowns in the second period to lead 4-1. But Vangelov battled back to tie the match, and picked up a pushout in the closing seconds to take the 5-4 victory. Vangelov won both the New York AC International and Dave Memorial events in the U.S. this season. At 65 kilos, Jordan Oliver won 4-1 over Bulgaria's Boris Novachkov (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Team USA then got back-to-back wins from Jimmy Kennedy (61 kilos) and Jordan Oliver (65 kilos). Kennedy, a U.S. Open champion, earned a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Aleksandr Bogomoev of Russia, avenging a loss from earlier this season. Oliver used a second-period takedown to defeat Bulgaria's Boris Novachkov, 4-1, in a match that was tied after the first period. Oliver and Novachkov are former collegiate wrestling rivals. Canada's Haislan Garcia tied the dual meet with a 6-2 win over Logan Stieber at 65 kilos. Stieber, a winner in the two previous Beat the Streets events in New York City, picked up a takedown at the two-minute mark of the first period to go up 2-0. Garcia came back to knot the score at 2-2, scoring with a defensive turn. In the second period Garcia pulled away, scoring off another defensive turn and front headlock to win the match by four points. Following Metcalf's win, Helen Maroulis pinned Marcia Andrades of Venezuela. Maroulis, a World silver medalist and five-time U.S. Open champion, was dominant from start to finish and was on the verge of getting the technical fall, up by nine points, before she hit a fireman's carry and earned the pin with seven seconds remaining in the match. After the Penn State duo of Taylor and Ruth picked up wins for Team USA, Russian freestyle wrestling legend Khadzhimurat Gatsalov stopped the bleeding for the World All-Stars with a 6-3 win over Junior World champion Kyle Snyder at 97 kilos. Snyder, an Ohio State signee and the nation's No. 1 recruit, scored one point off a scramble, and then added takedown in the first period to trail 4-3 heading into the second period. But Gatsalov, an Olympic gold medalist and five-time World champion, scored the only points in the second period off a single-leg takedown with just over two minutes remaining in the match. Jordan Burroughs closed out the dual meet with a pin over Atsamaz Sanakoev (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)U.S. Open champion Randi Miller made it two-for-two in women's freestyle matches for Team USA as she handled World champion Alina Stadnik-Makhinya of Ukraine, 11-5, at 69 kilos. With Team USA's victory sealed, Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs put an exclamation point on the dual meet win by pinning Russia's Atsamaz Sanakoev in the final match. The match was tied 3-3 after the opening period, but Burroughs broke it wide open in the second period, scoring with multiple blast double legs in the final minute, and earning a touch fall off his final atttack with two seconds remaining in the match. Results: 57 kilos: George Vangelov (Bulgaria) dec. Nahshon Garrett (USA), 5-4 61 kilos: Jimmy Kennedy (USA) dec. Aleksandr Bogomoev (Russia), 2-1 65 kilos: Jordan Oliver (USA) dec. Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria), 4-1 65 kilos: Haislan Garcia (Canada) dec. Logan Stieber (USA), 6-2 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia), 11-8 55 kilos: Helen Maroulis (USA) pinned Marcia Andrades (Venezuela), 5:53 74 kilos: David Taylor (USA) dec. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan), 6-0 86 kilos: Ed Ruth (USA) tech. fall Taymuraz Friev (Spain), 10-0 97 kilos: Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (Russia) dec. Kyle Snyder (USA), 6-3 69 kilos: Randi Miller (USA) dec. Alina Stadnik-Makhinya (Ukraine), 11-5 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) pinned Atsamaz Sanakoev (Russia), 5:58

For the second straight year, Harvard University is honored as the nation's top academic wrestling program as the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced its annual Division I All-Academic Top 30 Teams and Individual All-Academic Wrestling Team. The individual All-Academic team is highlighted by three NCAA champions -- two-time champs David Taylor of Penn State and Chris Perry of Oklahoma State -- and 285-pound champion Nick Gwiazdowski of N.C. State. Four NCAA finalists were also honored with Oklahoma State's Tyler Caldwell and Josh Kindig, Maryland's Jimmy Sheptock and Oklahoma's Andrew Howe making the All-Academic team. The team grade-point average was determined using a system that includes 12 student-athletes from each program. A total of 10 of these came from the wrestlers that were entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10 entries for their respective qualifier, they were allowed to fill those spots with wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season. Harvard, coached by Jay Weiss, checked in with a 3.3657 GPA to claim top honors, while Old Dominion University checked in with its highest All-Academic finish in school history, ranking second with a 3.32 GPA. Individually, Harvard and ODU had just one wrestler apiece on the All-Academic team as Harvard's James Fox has earned a 3.751 GPA. Tristan Warner, the NCAA Elite 89 Award winner, had a 3.97 GPA for ODU. Gardner-Webb improved from 29th last season to a program-best third place finish with a 3.3167 GPA. Freshman 165-pound NCAA qualifier Austin Trott was the Bulldogs' top individual with a 3.2887 GPA. Rounding out the top 10 teams: Appalachian State (3.31), Brown (3.31), Duke (3.304), Bucknell (3.3), Stanford (3.235), American (3.21), Penn State (3.1831). Oklahoma had an impressive six wrestlers on the All-Academic team, including three graduate students -- Kendric Maple, Nick Lester and Jarrod Patterson -- with 4.0 grade-point averages. Joining that trio are Travis Rutt, Andrew Howe and Clark Glass. Rival Oklahoma State put five on the All-Academic team. Joining Perry, Caldwell and Kindig were NCAA qualifiers Anthony Collica and Nolan Boyd. The Citadel was the only other program with five wrestlers on the All-Academic Team. Coach Rob Hjerling's team had Matthew Frisch, Aaron Hansen, Joaquin Martinez, Jack Duane and Marshall Haas represented. Four-time defending NCAA team champions Penn State had four representatives on the All-Academic team with all four finishing as All-Americans at the 2014 NCAA Division I Championships. Taylor, Nico Megaludis, James English and Matt Brown were honored with Taylor, Megaludis and Brown named repeat selections from last year. In all, 33 All-Americans from the 2014 NCAA Division I championships are on the team and 77 total NCAA Division I qualifiers. Twenty-one different NCAA Division I institutions had multiple selections named All-Academic for this season. "The NWCA All-Academic Team and Individual Team is one of the best acknowledgements that we can give to our coaches and athletes at the end of a physically grueling season" said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "These young men have proved that they are not only talented competitors but are leaders in the classroom as well. The NWCA Board of Directors and staff look forward to watching these student-athletes continue their success at the collegiate level and eventually as the leaders of the future once they earn their college degrees." Top 30 All-Academic Teams 2013-14 NWCA All-Academic Team

GREELEY -- Northern Colorado Athletics announced the resignation of head wrestling coach Ben Cherrington on Tuesday, who will pursue other interests outside of coaching. "We want to thank Ben for his leadership of the program and building a foundation for future success over his five years as head coach," Director of Athletics Darren Dunn said. "We appreciate his dedication to Collegiate Wrestling and wish him luck in his future endeavors." "I would like to thank all the people that have supported me during my tenure at UNC. I made a lot of friends and was fortunate enough to coach some great young men along the way," Cherrington said. "My time at UNC has been a good time. It has not been without its challenges, but I feel like we have made some great strides in setting a foundation that the wrestling program can build on. "Stepping away has been one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make, but for many reasons I feel like it is the right time to allow someone else to lead this program. I am confident that Darren and Ayo will make a great decision in choosing a new head coach and that UNC Wrestling will continue to achieve new heights." Cherrington had at least one wrestler advance to the NCAA Championships in each of his first three seasons as the Bears head coach, including coaching Justin Gaethje to Division I All-American status. The All-American student-athlete was the first ever in the 40-year history of the program. Cherrington finished with a career record of 16-52 in duals action after initially taking over as interim head coach during the 2009-10 season and being named the full-time head coach after the season. A national search for Cherrington's successor will begin immediately. No further comments will be made until the hiring process is complete.

The weight class realignment that was approved and implemented by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for high school wrestling effective with the 2011-12 season is still being felt and discussed by some, even as the third season with the changes present has ended. Given that premise, let's take a look at some data from the 2010-11 and the 2013-14 seasons. For purposes of this article, data from lineups for sectional wrestling tournaments in Ohio, which is the first layer of the state series in that state, will be used. The nature and number of wrestling weight classes has changed over the course of time. Up through 1970 there were 12 weight classes for high school competition. Starting with the 1970-71 season, a 13th weight class (a lower-weight) was added. The next major shift came in time for the 1987-88 season, which in essence did three things: (1) the lowest weight was eliminated (2) a lighter middle-weight class was added in its place (3) the middle-to-upper weight classes were realigned. Starting with the 1994-95 season, a 14th weight class was added. The 215-pound weight class came into place between the 189 and heavyweight/275 weight classes. Certain states (i.e. Pennsylvania) did not adopt this right away, but the vast majority of states implemented 215 right away. The recent radical change occurred for the start of the 2011-12 season, where a lower-to-middle weight was subtracted for the addition of an upper-weight class. The forgotten component to the discussion is that when the changes were made in the Spring of 2011, there were other proposals considered that would reduce the total number of weight classes from 14 to 12. Generally speaking proposals to reduce participation opportunities are a non-starter for some-to-many within the wrestling community. However, two questions should be examined before summarily ruling out reduced weight classes: (1) are the 14 spots in a team's lineup actually being filled (2) would a reduction in lineup spots increase the relative competitiveness of some teams, especially those from smaller enrollment schools. For the 2011 sectional tournaments in Ohio, there were 595 schools that entered wrestling squads. Of those squads, only 123 had a full lineup (20.7%); while 515 (86.6%) had what the OHSAA defines as a team, eight or more wrestlers in the lineup. In addition, the average number of participants in a lineup was 10.87, while the median was 12. As expected, the numbers varied depending on the size of school. For purposes of the state wrestling series, schools are split into three classifications based on their male enrollment. The small-school division (Division III) features schools with about 70 or less males per grade; the medium-school group (Division II) features schools with approximately between 70 and 125 males per grade; while the big-school division (Division I) features schools with about 125 or more males per grade, with 400 or so being the high end. Now let's look at the data from this season, which was the third with the "new" weight classes in effect. The presented data shows there are slightly less full lineups, slightly less schools with eight or more wrestlers in the lineup, and the average/median for wrestlers in a lineup has slightly dropped as well. Based on the data above, the vast majority of teams were struggling to fill lineups even before the "new" weight classes were implemented. That concern is slightly more common due to the change in weight classes. Therefore, it is my belief that a reduction in weight classes for varsity wrestling lineups is justified. Most teams are just not able to fill a lineup, which means opportunities are not being significantly reduced, and having one less spot would help many squads -- in particular those from smaller enrollment schools -- be more competitive in tournaments and dual meets. The item of greater contention is how to distribute the weight classes evenly and fairly to address the size of the population of 15-18 year-old males in this country, as well as in the context of what current realities are in terms of wrestling program participation. The first of those questions is outside the scope of this article, and should be determined using CDC data. From what I have been told, the failure of the NFHS to properly use CDC data during the Spring 2011 rules change process is a major reason the existing situation stands as present. This article can, and will, address the second of those realities. It will address the second of those realities by looking at varsity wrestling squad lineups at the sectional tournament, which is the first layer of the state tournament series. The data presented in the previous section related to the ability or inability for teams to fill a lineup is but one part. It shows -- in my opinion -- that the weight class change, which went into effect during 2011-12, is decreasing participation opportunities, and does not properly reflect the reality of wrestling programs' rosters. The 2011 sectional tournament data shows that participation in the five weight classes between 125 and 145 was all between 0.3 and 0.9 standard deviations above the mean participation for a given weight class. On the other hand, in 2014 sectional tournament data, participation for two of the four weight classes between 126 and 145 (138 and 145) is more than one standard deviation above the mean. For both years, participation in the 152-pound weight class is more than one standard deviation above the mean, with participation in 2014 creeping more than 1.4 standard deviations above the mean. In both 2011 and 2014 sectional tournament data, participation in the 285-pound weight class was more than one standard deviation below the mean (2011: 1.3 below, 2014: 1.19 below). 2011 sectional tournaments had weight classes at 171, 189, and 215; while in 2014, there were four weight classes capturing a similar range: 170, 182, 195, and 220. For 2011, those weight classes had the following z-scores (i.e. number of standard deviations above or below the mean): 0.89, 0.21, and -0.22; while for 2014, those four weights had the following z-scores: 0.20, -0.38, -0.64, and -0.47. The other area of study that always raises debate is participation patterns in the lowest weight classes. In 2011, the lowest weight classes were 103, 112, and 119; while in 2014, it was 106, 113, and 120. The z-scores for those weights in 2011 were: -2.34, -1.33, and -0.22; while in 2014, they were -1.82, -0.90, and -0.47. If the goal of weight class design is to create as normal of a distribution of participation as possible -- while acknowledging the reality that participation is always going to have somewhat of a "bell curve" -- we should try to avoid outcomes where participation is either disproportionately high or disproportionately low. Recommendation Based on analysis of the data, my recommendation is to decrease the number of weight classes from 14 to 13. The other part of that recommendation is to keep the current configuration from 106 to 160, while changing the upper-weight configuration to where it was previously (171, 189, 215, and 285). It is my opinion that said lineup would most accurately reflect the realities of the population and the wrestling landscape, while increasing full lineups and overall competitiveness of teams. An additional benefit of dropping to 13 weight classes is that with an odd number of weight classes, virtually all ties would be decided very early in the criteria "ladder" (i.e. at the greatest number of match victories).

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Bruce Burnett of Dover, Idaho has been hired to return to USA Wrestling as its National Freestyle Coach, and lead the men's freestyle program through the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Burnett served as the National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling for two Olympic cycles, from 1993-2000, which are considered among the most successful for the United States in history. During his eight years leading the program, the United States won the World Team titles in men's freestyle in both 1993 in Toronto, Canada and 1995 in Atlanta, Ga., the only two times in history. In addition, the United States won the medal count in men's freestyle at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. Bruce Burnett was on Team USA's staff for the World Cup in LA (Photo/Ken Coburn)Burnett was an employee for USA Wrestling for 12 years, also serving as the National Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling during the 1989-92, handling the coaching and development of U.S. age group wrestlers. Burnett will assume this coaching position after the resignation of National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones, who served in the position for 5.5 years, and accepted the head coaching position at Arizona State University on April 9. "We are incredibly fortunate to have one of the greatest coaches in Team USA history again lead our program. Coach Burnett is considered by many as one of the top strategists ever in international wrestling. His proven ability to connect with elite-level wrestlers bodes well for Team USA heading into Rio. Our high expectations for this team just got higher," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "You never lose a passion to work with elite athletes. It comes down to whether you are willing to get in the trenches and do the work, so the athletes have the best chance to fulfill their dreams. It is absolutely, 100% not about me. There are a ton of great coaches who are doing the day-to-day work with our athletes. We have to give them support, fill in the gaps when they are in their college season. That is the job. We want to win medals on the World and Olympic levels and we have the athletes to do that," said Burnett. "I was fortunate to have Bruce as a coach and I'm excited to work beside him to help our athletes win medals in Rio. We are all confident the team will respond well to Bruce's systematic and meticulous approach to preparing for world-level competition. As an administrator, I look forward to capturing every bit of Bruce's coaching wisdom so that we may make it a part of USA Wrestling's National Teams program for years to come," said USA Wrestling Associate Executive Director of Programs and Strategy Les Gutches. "I am 100% supportive of the move to bring Bruce Burnett in to finish the Olympic quadrennium. I am very excited to work with Bruce. He's familiar with the system. He brings a great attitude and approach. He will be able to help all of our wrestlers to continue their path to achieve the podium at the World Championships and the Olympics. I'm thoroughly impressed with his history and reputation, and have enjoyed working with him in a limited capacity so far," said U.S. Freestyle Team Leader Andy Barth. "I have been able to spend some time with him the last few years, and I think he's great for the program. He has a no-nonsense, old-school approach, which is good. I grew to have a great relationship with Coach Zeke Jones over the last few years. I know there will be a transition with coaching styles and relationships moving forward. If anybody can establish a relationship with me and help me to continue to improve, it's him. I am excited. I know there were many candidates. This one is comfortable and comforting. He's been there before. He has worked with some of the best wrestlers in history. Nothing is new to him. He will help us maintain our efforts to reach our goals in Rio," said 2012 Olympic champion and two-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs. During his previous tenure as National Freestyle Coach, Burnett coached many of the greatest wrestlers in American wrestling history. He coached Olympic champions Kendall Cross, Tom Brands and Kurt Angle at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and Olympic champion Brandon Slay at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Team USA won five medals at the 1996 Olympics (three gold, one silver, one bronze) and four medals at the 2000 Olympics (one gold, one silver, two bronze). Nine U.S. athletes won 11 World titles during Burnett's previous tenure as National Freestyle Coach included Bruce Baumgartner (1993, 1995), Terry Brands (1993, 1995), Tom Brands (1993), Melvin Douglas (1993), Kurt Angle (1995), Kevin Jackson (1995), Les Gutches (1997), Sammie Henson (1998) and Stephen Neal (1999). At the six World Championships in which Burnett was National Freestyle Coach, the USA won 22 World medals, including 11 gold, four silver and seven bronze. At the World Championships, the USA placed in the top nine at the World Championships as a team every year, placing first (1993, 1995), second (1999), third (1998), sixth (1997) and ninth (1994). During his tenure, the USA also won the team title at the 1999 Pan American Games with eight medalists. Team USA added seven World Cup team titles (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000) during his leadership, and Pan American Championships titles in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. A total of 17 athletes who competed on the freestyle national team under Burnett's leadership have been elected into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: Dave Schultz, Bruce Baumgartner, Kevin Jackson, Kendall Cross, Kurt Angle, Kenny Monday, Brandon Slay, Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Zeke Jones, Melvin Douglas, Les Gutches, Lincoln McIlravy, Stephen Neal, Pat Smith, Kerry McCoy and Eric Guerrero. "It was a hard decision for me. My wife was willing to make the commitment along with me. Zeke Jones did a great job and has plans set. USA Wrestling is on solid footing. We are in the middle of the Olympic quadrennium. There is a lot of work to get caught up on. I will learn and work with National Coaches Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick, the personal and club coaches and the staff at USA Wrestling. It will be a team effort," said Burnett. He became the head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy after leaving USA Wrestling in the fall of 2000, serving 13 years leading the Navy staff until his retirement in September, 2013. Burnett led the Midshipmen to a 113-57 record (.665) that featured six-straight seasons of 10 or more wins from 2002-07. The Midshipmen have flourished under his guidance, finishing among the top five at the EIWA Championship in seven of the last nine years. Navy placed among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in three of the last seven seasons. He guided Navy to an 18th-place finish at the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships, its highest NCAA finish since placing 13th more than two decades ago (1990). Along the way, he helped mold 10 EIWA Champions, 50 NCAA qualifiers and 10 wrestlers who earned NCAA Div. I All-American honors. While at Navy, Burnett remained involved in USA Wrestling as a volunteer coach, both on the Senior and the age-group levels. He coached the 2011 Pan American Games team which won the team title with six medalists, including champions Jordan Burroughs, Jake Herbert, Jake Varner and Tervel Dlagnev. He was a coach for the 2014 U.S. Freestyle World Cup Team, which placed third in the standings in Los Angeles, Calif. He also coached the 2005 World University World Games team in Turkey, which had a tremendous performance with three champions, Nate Gallick, Jesse Jantsen and Tommy Rowlands. Burnett was also coach for the 2012 Junior World Team which competed in Pattaya, Thailand. Prior to joining USA Wrestling, Burnett was the assistant coach for the storied program at Oklahoma State from 1987-1990. While there, the Cowboys won two NCAA team titles, two NWCA National Dual titles and three Big Eight Conference titles. Burnett had a fantastic career as a high school coach for Meridian High in Idaho from 1974-1987. He coached the team to four state titles, four state runner-up finishes, six district titles and nine conference titles. His record at Meridian was 154-13-2 for a .923 winning percentage. Burnett also served as a state chairperson and a Junior chairperson for Idaho USA Wrestling. He received an Associate Arts degree from Bakersfield College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Idaho State University, where he was a star on the wrestling team. He is a member of the Idaho State University Hall of Fame "When an athlete can fulfill his Olympic dreams, there is no better feeling. It is not that we did it for them. We provided the conduit for them to do it for themselves and their country. You ask, do they trust the work you are doing to help them get better? If I can bridge that gap and get that trust, they will improve even faster. My job is to help those guys reach that dream. I am confident we will win those medals. God bless the Red, White and Blue," said Burnett.

Team USA battles the World All-Stars on Wednesday in Times Square as part of an annual Beat the Streets event. Wednesday's event will start with youth wrestling matches at 4 p.m. ET, followed by Team USA vs. the World All-Stars at 5:30 p.m. ET. Below is a preview and predictions for the nine men's freestyle matches. 57 kilos: Georgi Vangelov (Bulgaria) vs. Nahshon Garrett (USA) The 20-year-old Vangelov has been successful at the junior level, earning a Junior World silver medal in 2011 and placing fifth at the Junior Worlds in 2013. At last year's Junior Worlds he edged Iowa wrestler Thomas Gilman, 4-3, in the quarterfinals at 55 kilos. Zach Sanders crushed Vangelov 9-0 at the Dave Schultz Memorial earlier this year. Garrett, a two-time All-American at Cornell, has been successful in national age group events in freestyle, placing at the Junior Nationals (Fargo) and FILA Junior Nationals. He is quick and explosive with his leg attacks, but lacks experience against international competition. Bottom line: Vangelov has to be considered a slight favorite based on experience and international results. Both wrestlers are 20 years old. Prediction: Vangelov dec. Garrett 61 kilos: Aleksandr Bogomoev (Russia) vs. Jimmy Kennedy (USA) Aleksandr Bogomoev (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Bogomoev has been a top Russian wrestler for several years, winning 11 medals on the international circuit over the past three seasons, but has been unable to break through and make Russia's World team because of the depth in the weight class. He has battled the likes of the late Besik Kudukhov, a four-time World champion, and former world No. 1 Opan Sat for the spot. Bogomoev won both the New York AC International and Dave Schultz Memorial events in the U.S. this season, and notched wins over U.S. wrestlers Jimmy Kennedy, Nick Simmons, B.J. Futrell, and Matt McDonough. Bogomoev dominated World and Olympic medalist Vasyl Fedoryshyn of Ukraine at the World Cup in March. Kennedy, a U.S. Open champion, has continued to climb the freestyle ranks while training with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. He won a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu in February, and has placed in four international events this season. He is currently ranked 14th in the world at 61 kilos. Bottom line: These two wrestlers are familiar with each other having wrestled multiple times since 2011. Bogomoev has won each meeting, with the most recent win coming by technical fall in a November dual meet held in Ithaca, N.Y. Prediction: Bogomoev dec. Kennedy 65 kilos: Haislan Garcia (Canada) vs. Logan Stieber (USA) Haislan Garcia (Photo/Larry Slater)The 31-year-old Cuban-born Garcia has been on the scene for several years, and represented Canada at the Olympic Games in both 2008 and 2012. He has not earned a World-level medal, but has been fifth and eighth at the Worlds, and seventh at the Olympics. He fell to U.S. wrestler Jordan Oliver at the United 4 Wrestling event in Los Angeles a year ago. Stieber, a three-time NCAA champion at Ohio State (with one season remaining), is coming off a third-place finish at the U.S. Open. He was a Junior World silver medalist in 2011 and has won multiple national age group events in freestyle. Stieber has been victorious in the last two Beat the Streets events in New York City. Last year he knocked off Russian wrestler Opan Sat, who was ranked No. 1 in the world at the time. Bottom line: On paper this looks to be a very competitive match. Garcia is the more experienced wrestler. However, Stieber seems to shine in these events. Prediction: Stieber dec. Garcia 65 kilos: Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria) vs. Jordan Oliver (USA) Boris Novachkov (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The Bulgarian Novachkov is well-known to U.S. wrestling fans having lived in the U.S. since he was young. He won two California state titles and earned All-American honors three times at Cal Poly. In February Novachkov made headlines by defeating 2012 Olympic champion Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan at the European Championships en route to earning a bronze medal. He won a silver medal at the Dan Kolov International. Novachkov has been training at the University of Illinois and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world. Oliver, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma State, was third at the U.S. World Team Trials last year, with his lone loss coming to Brent Metcalf. Last month he reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open, where he lost to Kellen Russell, 4-2, before defaulting to sixth place. Oliver was a Junior World bronze medalist in 2009. A year ago Oliver went 2-0 at the United 4 Wrestling event, with wins over two wrestlers competing on Wednesday in the BTS event, Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia and Haislan Garcia of Canada. Bottom line: While Oliver was the more successful collegiate wrestler, Novachkov has the better freestyle resume on the senior level at this point. While their previous matches in folkstyle are nothing more than ancient history now, the two wrestlers did meet three times during the 2009-10 collegiate wrestling season, with Oliver winning two of those three meetings, including a 5-4 tiebreaker victory in the NCAA quarterfinals. Prediction: Novachkov dec. Oliver 65 kilos: Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia) vs. Brent Metcalf (USA) Russia's Magomed Kurbanaliev won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Russia's Kurbanaliev is currently ranked No. 1 in the world at 65 kilos. He won gold medals at both the Ivan Yariguin and European Championships this year. Last year Kurbanaliev claimed a bronze medal at the World Championships, and also won a gold medal at the World University Games. He was a Junior World champion in 2012. Metcalf, known in the U.S. for his aggressive, attacking style, seems to be wrestling his best right now, and admitted so after winning his first U.S. Open title last month. Metcalf, a two-time U.S. World Team member, was impressive at this year's World Cup, where he went 5-0 with three technical falls. Bottom line: Metcalf defeated Kurbanaliev in January of 2013 in the semifinals of the Ivan Yariguin. However, Kurbanaliev has fared much better in international wrestling events over the past year. Prediction: Kurbanaliev dec. Metcalf 74 kilos: Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan) vs. David Taylor (USA) Hasanov, who is currently ranked eighth in the world at 74 kilos, has been both productive and consistent at world-level events over the past five years. He was a World bronze medalist in both 2010 and 2011, and a fifth-place finisher at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. All those results came at 66 kilos. Last year Hasanov moved up to 74 kilos and placed seventh at the World Championships. This season he has won medals at the Intercontintal Cup, Golden Grand Prix, Dan Kolov, and European Championships. Taylor, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist at Penn State, opened a lot of eyes with his performance at this year's U.S. Open. The 23-year-old cruised to the finals, and was on the verge of beating world No. 1 Jordan Burroughs before surrendering his lead late in the match. Taylor was a World University Games bronze medalist last summer, and did notch a win over a much smaller Kurbanaliev at the Rumble on the Rails event last May. Bottom line: Hasanov clearly has the better international wrestling resume. Taylor, though, has been focusing mostly on folkstyle wrestling for the past five years. His performance against Burroughs last month at the U.S. Open may be a sign that he's ready to compete with the world's best. Prediction: Taylor dec. Hasanov 74 kilos: Atsamaz Sanakoev (Russia) vs. Jordan Burroughs (USA) Sanakoev has performed well this season, earning a silver medal at the Stepan Sargsyan International and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yariguin. Last year he won the Dave Schultz Memorial, beating U.S. wrestler Colt Sponseller in the finals. Burroughs, an Olympic champion and two-time World champion, comes into the match with an international record of 81-1. His lone loss came to U.S. wrestler Nick Marable (now competing at 70 kilos) at the Yasar Dogu International in February. Since then Burroughs has reeled off 12 consecutive victories. He cruised to his third World Cup gold medal in March, and followed that up by winning his third U.S. Open title last month. Bottom line: Burroughs is one of the world's best-for-pound freestyle wrestlers. Sanakoev is not currently ranked in the top 20 in the world. These two wrestlers met in the finals of the Stepan Sargsyan International in August, with Burroughs winning that match narrowly, 7-6. Prediction: Burroughs dec. Sanakoev 86 kilos: Taymuraz Friev (Spain) vs. Ed Ruth (USA) Taymuraz Friev placed fifth at the 2013 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Friev reached the semifinals of the 2013 World Championships, where he fell to Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba, and then lost the bronze-medal match to Ehsan Lashgari of Iran. In February he won a gold medal at the Golden Grand Prix of Paris, where he defeated Keith Gavin of the U.S. in the finals, 5-3. Friev is currently ranked 18th in the world. Ruth, a three-time NCAA champion at Penn State, has just begun his transition from folkstyle wrestling to freestyle wrestling. He placed third at the U.S. Open, with his lone loss coming to Clayton Foster. Last summer Ruth competed at the World University Games, where he lost his first match to Iran's Mohammed Mohammadian by technical fall and was eliminated from the competition. Bottom line: Friev is not an elite wrestler, evidenced by his No. 18 world ranking, but has shown he can be competitive with the world's best. Ruth is a tremendous athlete, but still very much a newcomer in international wrestling. Prediction: Friev dec. Ruth 97 kilos: Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (Russia) vs. Kyle Snyder (USA) Khadzhimurat Gatsalov won a World title in 2013 at 120 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Russian Gatsalov is truly a legend in freestyle wrestling. His wrestling resume speaks for itself. Gatsalov is a five-time World champion and Olympic champion. He did not medal in the 2011 Worlds and failed to make Russian's Olympic team in 2012, but came back strong in 2013 to win a World title at 120 kilos. His five previous World-level gold medals came at 96 kilos. Snyder, an 18-year-old who spent the past year training freestyle at the Olympic Training Center, captured a Junior World title last summer at 96 kilos. In November he earned a bronze medal at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France. Last month Snyder rolled through FILA Junior National competition in Las Vegas, winning each of his five matches by technical fall. Bottom line: This looks like a mismatch on paper. All-time great versus high school senior. The 31-year-old Gatsalov comes into the match as a heavy favorite. Snyder is one of the world's best in his age group, but whether he can be competitive against one of the world's best on the senior level remains to be seen. Prediction: Gatsalov tech. fall Snyder Predicted Dual Meet Score: World All-Stars 6, Team USA 3

STAMFORD, Conn. -- 2012 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs highlights a field of top wrestlers in one of the world's most iconic settings on Wednesday night, when USA Wrestling and NBCSN combine to present the Beat The Streets Team USA vs. The World international wrestling dual meet from Times Square in New York City at 10:30 p.m. ET. The event will air following Game 4 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers in their Stanley Cup Playoff series. The event features 11 top American international wrestling stars against a team of all-stars from around the world, set outside in the heart of New York City. Team USA's accolades include a total of 14 NCAA titles, four Hodge Trophy awards, 12 U.S. Open titles, six World Team berths, six Junior World medals plus an Olympic gold medal, an Olympic bronze medal, two Senior World titles and a Junior World gold medal. Three past Dan Hodge Trophy winners, given each year to the nation's best college wrestler, will compete for Team USA. David Taylor won two Dan Hodge Trophies competing for Penn State. Other Hodge award winners include Burroughs, who wrestled for Nebraska, and Brent Metcalf, who wrestled for Iowa. 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller will compete in a women's freestyle match, as will 2012 World silver medalist Helen Maroulis. Calling the action will be play-by-play announcer Jason Knapp, with color commentary from Olympic champion Rulon Gardner, and sideline interviews by Chris Mannix. This is the third straight year that NBCSN has aired a major wrestling event affiliated with the Beat the Streets Gala in New York City, following "The Grapple in the Big Apple" from Times Square in 2012, and "The Rumble on the Rails," which featured a historic USA vs. Iran dual meet from Vanderbilt Hall in historic Grand Central Terminal in 2013. NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA NBC Sports Live Extra -- NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets -- will stream Wednesday night's Beat The Streets Team USA vs. The World event via "TV Everywhere," the media industry's effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play. Events airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via "TV Everywhere," which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs. ABOUT USA WRESTLING USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.